Archive for November 2011
Favored by God
Posted on: 7-15-112011
Once again, I want to look at something in the words of the angel to Mary when he visited her with the news of the birth of Jesus.
“And having come in, the angel said to her, ‘Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” Luke 1:28
I wonder how many times Mary replayed those words in her head over her lifetime? We have to remember that Mary was a young girl, betrothed to Joseph. A pregnancy outside of wedlock (not to mention getting pregnant by someone other than the man she was betrothed to) was not an easy pill to swallow. In their culture, Mary getting pregnant by someone else and outside of marriage could have easily caused her to be shunned by her family, friends, and entire community. Joseph could’ve dumped her…no one would’ve blamed him! In her world, this pregnancy would bring shame to Mary, to Joseph, and to their families. I can just imagine the snooty looks she would’ve received, the gossip behind her back, and the judgment that would’ve been cast on her. I can also imagine the way Mary must’ve felt…she had to be humiliated and hurt by the rejection, wondering how she would ever endure the shame, and wondering how she could ever make them understand what was really happening. I wonder if she tried to explain, only to have them laugh in her face and mock her or criticize her for creating such an incredibly crazy story. I wonder if they added “liar” to their list of names they called her. It’s easy for us to imagine all of this because it happens in our world every single day! We’ve all been the recipients of the shunning or we’ve been the one gossiping, judging, and belittling…and most of us have been both at both at one time or another. I bet Mary must’ve clung to the words of the angel as if her very life depended on it because those words would’ve given her hope and they would’ve reminded her that no matter what, she was “highly favored” by the Most High! We, too, are highly favored by God…so highly favored, in fact, that He sent His Son to the cross to die in our place! Never let the world tell you otherwise! Even if the entire world rejects you, you can trust that God favors you, that He is with you, and that His blessings are upon you! I bet when Mary looked into His eyes, she knew He was more than worth it! One day, we, too, will look into His eyes…and I can guarantee that we will know that He was worth it!
Simple Obedience…No Questions Asked
Posted on: 7-15-112011
I’ve been reading a lot about the events surrounding the birth of Jesus lately. I think there is so much that we miss simply because we’ve heard the story so many times. As I was reading about the angel visiting Mary and telling her about her role in the birth of Jesus, I discovered something that I’ve never really thought about before.
“You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will call His name Jesus.” Luke 1:31
There are two words in this statement to Mary that jumped out at me…”will”. Think about it…the angel was telling her exactly what was going to happen. There was no room for discussion, no room for debate. Mary was not given an option…she did not have a say in the matter. She did not get a vote. God did not consult her to ask her opinion of anything. He did not visit her to ask her if giving birth to His Son fit into her plans. She didn’t even get time to weigh the pros and cons of the situation. She didn’t even get to name Him. Simply put, she was told what to do, and she obeyed. When I consider this, I have to ask myself what I would’ve done in her situation. If I did what I usually do, I would’ve probably told God the twenty plus reasons I could not possibly do what He was asking me to do; then, I would’ve given Him an optional plan that worked much better for everyone involved, and then finally, after He let me go on and on for a while, I would’ve possibly done what He called me to do (probably grumbling about it the whole time) or I would’ve not done what He asked me to do and missed out on some incredible blessing that was mine for the taking. I wish I could say that I always obey Him as Mary did, but I don’t! I’m stubborn, hard-headed, and rebellious more often than I would care to admit. Maybe there’s a lesson for me to learn in Mary’s simple obedience!
Born to Die
Posted on: 7-15-112011
Have you ever wondered where Mary and Joseph got the cloths they used to wrap Jesus in when He was born? They were, after all, in the stable, and didn’t have a household at their disposal to get things from. The book I’m currently reading on the culture of Jesus’ time sheds a little light on this. During the time of Jesus and even in some Middle Eastern cultures today, the custom was that if you were going on a lengthy journey, you would take special strips of cloth, called swaddling cloths, with you that were used for wrapping a dead body. This way, if you were to die on your journey, you would have the strips of cloth to prepare your body for burial. As we know, Mary and Joseph were on a long journey, so according to their custom, they would’ve had their burial cloths with them. So, it would totally make sense that what they used was their “swaddling” or burial cloths to wrap Jesus in. Since these cloths were only used to wrap the dead, they are only a symbolic reminder of the real reason Jesus was born…to die on the cross for our sins!
“And this shall be a sign unto you; you shall find the Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” Luke 2:12
What’s In A Name?
Posted on: 7-15-112011
As Christmas quickly approaches us, our thoughts will turn to decorating the house, buying the perfect gifts, wrapping those gifts, yummy holiday treats, and spending time with friends and family. We also tend to think a lot about the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. I read something in a Beth Moore Bible study on Jesus the other day that I’ve never considered before. These are some of the words spoken to Mary by the angel that brought her the news of the birth of Jesus.
“And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus.” Luke 1:31
Now, we’ve all read and heard this verse more times than we can probably count, but what I’ve never thought about is that this is the first time in Scripture that the name of Jesus is spoken. He has been referenced many times and foreshadowed throughout the Old Testament, but never has His name been spoken. I’ve always wondered what Mary must’ve felt when receiving the news, but when I consider the magnitude of the words spoken by the angel, I have to wonder how the angel must’ve felt to be the one chosen to speak His name for the first time to a human! Were the other angels bending their ear towards earth to hear His name spoken? What did Satan do when he heard His name? Did he shudder and fear? I also have to wonder how God must’ve felt to hear the name of His Son spoken on earth for the first time! What complete joy and pride must’ve filled His heart, but possibly a bit of grief too as He considered what His Son would have to do! The final question is what do we do when we hear His name? Do we stand in awe of the name of Jesus? Do we truly understand that His name is the name that will one day be spoken and have every single one of us bow before Him? Do we understand the power of His name? Do we truly believe that just speaking His name will send Satan running? Do we understand that His name is the only name that can save us? Jesus…the only name we ever need!
What I’m Thankful For Not Having
Posted on: 7-15-112011
Today is Thanksgiving! I have spent a wonderful day with family and friends cooking, eating, taking pictures, watching Christmas movies, visiting, and making memories that will last a lifetime. And as most of us do on Thanksgiving, I have spent some time thinking of what I am thankful for! Normally, I think of only the things that God has given me, but this year, I also want to share what I am thankful that He has NOT given me!
He has not given me:
1. Timidity– “For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but He has given us a spirit of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.” 2 Timothy 1:7
2. Fear — “”Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God; He will come and save you.” Isaiah 35:4
3. Abandonment/Loneliness — “For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5
4. Insecurity/Chaos/Stress — “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:27
5. Condemnation — “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ.” Romans 8:1
6. Hopelessness — “For You are my hope, O Lord God; You are my trust from my youth.” Psalm 71:5
7. Lies — “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” John 14:6
8. Danger –“The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe.” Proverbs 29:25
9. Failure — “For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you; plans to give you a hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11
10. Limits — “But Jesus looked at them and said to them, ‘With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26
I know the list could go on and on, but these are just a few that I am especially thankful for this year.
He Doesn’t Answer to Us
Posted on: 7-15-112011
Have you ever had a time when, despite your best efforts and planning, things did not work out the way you anticipated? Of course you have…we all have. I set a goal when I started writing this blog to write every night for one year! I’ve made it over 200 days, but last night, due to our Internet being down, I couldn’t post a blog. I even tried on my phone, but for some reason, I could never get to the screen to actually write the blog. At first, I felt myself getting very frustrated and agitated because I couldn’t do what I wanted to do, but then, I took a deep breath and just prayed. I asked God to either help me figure out what to do differently on the phone or to help our Internet connection to be restored if He wanted me to blog last night. Neither of those things happened! So, I just decided that for some reason, He didn’t intend for it to happen last night. If you’re waiting for me to tell you that He revealed that reason to me today, I cant’! I have no idea what that reason may be and I may never know, but I know that I can trust Him to know what’s best always…even if His plans are much different from mine. He is God and His ways are not our ways! He doesn’t have to answer to us and doesn’t have to get our approval on what He’s doing! I confess that often times, I try to tell God how things are going to be! When I think about it, that’s just plain ridiculous! I mean, how could I know anything in comparison to the One who created me, as well as created the entire world?
“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:9
Faith That Moves Mountains
Posted on: 7-15-112011
- In: Jesus | Uncategorized
- 1 Comment
I am currently reading a new book called Understanding Jesus. It is written to give cultural insights into the world in which Jesus lived. I am simply amazed at some of the things that I am learning about His culture that gives me a completely new perspective on the things written in the Word of God. There are things that I have read and heard many, many times that have come alive in a whole new way when I realize the context in which they were written and the cultural connotations which they have. Two of the things I learned was about a passage that’s familiar to many.
“For truly I say to you, if you have faith that is living like a grain of mustard seed, you can say to the mountain , ‘Move from here to yonder place, and it will move and nothing will be impossible to you.” Matthew 17:20
First, this is the Amplified Version of the Bible which the author of the book said takes the Aramaic language in which the words were originally spoken into consideration in its translation. What is different about this particular translation is that it says “faith that is living”. This implies that in order for our faith to move the mountain, it has to be alive. Faith that is alive must be active. So, we can’t just sit by and do nothing…we have to act on our faith. Second, I learned that mustard seeds are quite determined to survive no matter what the conditions of their environment are. Even in the rocky, dry climate where Jesus lived the mustard seed thrived due to its tenacity. The mustard seed is also so strong that when it grows, it doesn’t let anything get in its way. It literally pushes right through the rocks and stones (its mountains) and flourishes. The same is true of our faith. When our faith is like the mustard seed, it is alive and determined to thrive no matter what our circumstances. It will push any “mountain” right out of its way and flourish. This is the faith God intends for us to have, but we have to make the choice whether our faith will have the tenacity and strength of the mustard seed or not.
What Are You Wearing?
Posted on: 7-15-112011
- In: Jesus | Uncategorized
- 1 Comment
The Christmas season is fast approaching us! Today, I bought a few Christmas presents and also watched a few Christmas movies. I must confess that I’m getting into the Christmas spirit! I am starting to think about what gifts to get everyone…which means I’m paying attention to sales papers and advertisements on TV a little closer than normal. One thing I noticed is that there are a lot of ads for clothing items. It started me thinking about how much time we spend fretting over what we wear…too much time usually. As Christians, Jesus is very clear what we should clothe ourselves with:
“Therefore, as God’s children, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.” Colossians 3:12
Are these the things that we clothe ourselves with? If not, it may be time to clean out our closets!
Laughter is the Best Medicine
Posted on: 7-15-112011
Tonight I received a very special birthday surprise…my husband and best friend arranged for her to make a trip to Louisiana from Texas to visit me for the weekend! We haven’t been able to spend a lot of time together in quite a while, so this was definitely a special treat for us. When I lived in Texas, we were basically inseparable, so our move to another state was very hard on us. Anyway, we spent some time catching up on what’s new in our lives, but even better was the time we spent reminiscing about old times. Over the years, my son has supplied us with enough funny stories to keep us laughing from now on. There were several times in his life that he had us laughing so hard we cried or were desperate to find a restroom because if we didn’t, we were going to be in big trouble. Tonight was no exception…as we lived some of his antics, we laughed and laughed and laughed. After a very long week, it was exactly what I needed to relieve some stress and revitalize my spirit. As I thought about our laughter, I realized that laughter is one of those gifts from God that I take for granted…one that I don’t usually see as a blessing…one that I don’t thank Him for enough…one that I would miss greatly if I did not have it in my life!
“A merry heart does good like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones.” Proverbs 17:22
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