Skip to main content

To Ponder Christmas




Sometimes, I go overboard...heap way too many things on my plate and get anxious and overwhelmed and then strangely enough, often times when facing a deadline, get things done!  As much as I crave order and peace in my life, I seem to work best under pressure and with looming deadlines!

In the middle of November, I began searching for Christmas devotionals and study materials.  Not being content with one or two...I am in the midst of 3 separate studies, plus a daily devotional from Journey. 

But the crazy thing is...they are all beautifully working together!  Truths are shared to inspire, one is a journal which usually I don't like to be confined to do daily, but am loving it and the lessons learned bounce and build on each other.  It is incredible!

One (!) of today's devotions, was based upon the verse of "Mary treasuring these things in her heart".  It encouraged the readers to ponder the wonder of Christmas, to slow down and think upon the miracle and glory of Jesus coming to earth.  

One of my favorite things to 'ponder' this season has been the name "Immanuel".  It means God with us.  Here are a few thoughts (from another devotion!) on that.  

"The various names and titles that God has are not empty names, but names that are filled with meaning. “Immanuel” is one of the names the depth of which we can never reach. God took on flesh and made His home among people He had created. His coming had a very beautiful and sobering purpose. He came to die. His death would ensure a bond between Christ the Savior and the sinners He came to save.
We call it the great exchange. Sin was exchanged for righteousness, death for life, hate for love, enmity for friendship, and emptiness for the presence of God.
Immanuel – God with US!
Immanuel means God is with YOU! He will never leave you or forsake you, and He has made His home in you. And He is in you because He loves you!
So where can we go to escape His presence? Nowhere because we cannot separate Him from our hearts, and nothing can separate us from His love (Rom 8:38, 39). What can we do to make Him leave us? Nothing, because His love is stronger than any of our sin.
The great redeemer lives, and He lives in you!

As Christmas gets closer and closer, may we find time to slow down, enjoy the beauty and blessing and ponder the wonder of the true Reason!
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Thank you for sharing your commment. It is a joy and blessing to hear from you and your words are appreciated.

Popular posts from this blog

Top 10 Workout DVDs

Prevention Magazine is a leader in health and fitness news and products. They recently came up with the top 10 list of workout DVDs. They have examined the many fitness DVDs out there and narrowed down a list of the best ones. There is a DVD for every fitness level. If you are looking to incorporate some exercise into your day in the convenience of your own home, take a look at this list. Here is an additional money saving tip:  If you see a DVD that you are interested in, check out Amazon or Ebay before ordering.  Many times they have pre-owned DVDs at a fraction of the cost of a new one.
1 comment
Read more

Sometimes We Score, Sometimes We Block

Our family is in the midst of little league soccer season. My youngest son is playing and his enthusiasm is contagious. He is pretty good at the sport, but what makes it so great is that he loves it! He counts the days until the next game or practice. He loves his coach and teammates. He has moved up an age level this year and the players are working more like team, passing to each other and watching out for each other during play. During the last game, my son scored two goals, they were the only goals of the game. In today's game the team scored eight goals. My son came up afterwards to me and said, "I didn't score today, but I blocked". What a powerful truth those words can hold. In life, sometimes we score, sometimes we block. Sometimes we do great things, we excel, we achieve, we meet our goal - we score! There are also times we see the needs of others, sometimes they are sad or hurting, we block their hits. We look out for them so they can score. We...
17 comments
Read more

Word Filled Wednesday – Act Justly

He has shown you, O man, what is good;       And what does the LORD require of you                But to do justly, To love mercy,       And to walk humbly with your God?    Micah 6:8 Sometimes we struggle so hard with the question “What does God want us to do and be?”  This verse is a simple yet powerful reminder of some simple things that God requires of us.  Act and do justly, love mercy and walk humbly before God.  There are numerous opportunities each day to do justly, to do the right thing or to make the right choice.  We love mercy when we show kindness or mercy oftentimes to those who do not deserve it.  Walking humbly before God is acknowledging He alone is God.  He is the I AM – no one else is.  When we give Him the glory He is worthy of, it will humble our heart before Him....
13 comments
Read more