In the Christmas season the world is full of commercialism making the most of people eagerly buying presents for family and friends. In the glitter and frenzy of it all, many do not even give a thought to the real reason for the season:
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes on Him, should not perish but have everlasting life”. God’s greatest gift to mankind, Jesus Christ.
Psalm 139 perfectly and beautifully describes God’s knowledge of our every moment, our intimate thoughts, our every act, from the moment we were in our mother’s womb where He formed us, “fearfully and wonderfully made”. The psalm declares that God’s thoughts towards us are more than the grains of sand, (verse 18)! This inspired psalm is a wonderful reality check for those questioning God’s care of them. God cares!
Maybe there have been times when we have moved towards need in order to please man, or obtain self worth, only to discover that our lives have become cluttered and pressured and we have forfeited God’s enabling grace, peace and strength for the task. When we allow our emotions to dictate, instead of the Holy Spirit, we find ourselves in a downward spiral.
Our God given emotions make good servants, but bad masters!
When we come to the end of our human efforts, surrender and repentance are key to getting back on track with the Lord’s will. Let us not deceive ourselves, the good, is the enemy of the best. In Gethsemane, our Lord Jesus surrendered to His Father saying, “Nevertheless, not My will, but Thine be done “. To view our lives through God’s perspective by His Holy Spirit, is imperative to know what He requires of us. This is the pathway in the journey to reaching our divine destiny, a daily walk, one step at a time, keeping in step with Him.
God sees every searching heart and will reveal Himself. Acts 8 records the Lord using the disciples in healings and deliverance from evil spirits with the people, as the disciples preached the gospel. The angel of the Lord spoke to Philip and sent him to the desert in Gaza, where an Etheopian eunuch was trying to understand Isaiah 53. The Lord enabled Philip to expound the scripture, speaking of Jesus, and share the gospel with Him. The eunuch was ripe to receive salvation, which he gladly did, then Philip baptized him at his request. The eunuch came up out of the water rejoicing, and Philip was translated, supernatural transport, to Azotus. God sees us in our desert places, but meets the need of our searching hearts! No problem too big for Him. All the answers are found in the person of His Son for He has delegated all rule and authority to Him.
In desperation we may ask God to meet our need, but consider this. Scripture declares that Noah walked WITH God and found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Enoch walked WITH God and was translated. Jacob was different. He was a twister and a deceiver. He wrestled with the angel and bargained with Him……”I will not let you go, except you bless me”, Genesis 32: 24-32. He did receive a blessing but he also was touched in the sinew of his thigh, and limped for the rest of his life.
How many of us are limping in our spiritual walk because we are asking God to meet us in a particular way, to get in step with us, instead of us seeking to get in step with Him and walking WITH Him? That is the highest, to walk WITH Him, a daily abandoning to His will and direction, instead of my agenda. When I walk with Him and discover His purpose I find no need for as many requests as my life will glorify Him. Here I find that : Where the appointment is, the provision is!
Arthur used to say that we serve an inconvenient God. Inconvenient to what?……..my agenda, my plans. As I learn to hold them loosely and apply the words, God willing, I find my place of rest. I need to view disappointment as a divine interruption and remember Psalm 139…..I am in my Father’s hands. I only prove Him as I walk WITH Him, especially when things do not go my way. These are opportunities for God to test us for heart purity. Jesus said: (Matthew 5:8) “Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God”…….in all things.
We experience the joy of the Lord in our salvation and His care of us, but also the joy of the Lord is available for us to enjoy as we endure the difficulties of life in His enabling strength. Everything we need for our earthly journey is to be found in Jesus. May we ever remain thankful to our heavenly Father for His most precious gift to the world, His wonderful, beautiful Son.
We send our warmest greetings to all our readers and fellow travellers at this special season of wonder and celebration. A joyful, peaceful and God-filled Christmas to you all!
Shalom
Photo by Hannah Busing on Unsplash
