Jeremiah 29:11
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 hope and a future.
A new year, a fresh start...perhaps a new attitude? I believe many Christians would
list Jeremiah 29:11 among their favorites and no doubt this is a very hopeful verse. I
have seen it on plaques, signs, etc. It is a verse that tells us we have a God that we
can trust – Amen.
There is more to consider, if you look at verse 10 the Lord says after 70 years He
will fulfill His promise. So there is thing called God’s timing and don’t get me wrong
here, I believe it is also His perfect timing. But, if we truly believe we have a God
that we can trust there will be times when we must wait, we must experience ups
and downs, we must persevere and to me that is a key aspect of trusting God.
And during these periods of time where we have to trust God what is our attitude?
Should we be angry, should we be negative or should we be confident and joyful? I
know this is hard to do at times and Lord knows when it comes to this I slip – I
forget – maybe I find it easier to trust myself? Ouch! But, if we can truly center and
focus on Jesus and all He has done – His finished work, His love for each of us, then
perhaps we can get through life with a humble confidence, trusting God and His
plans for us.
I recently had the opportunity to travel on a particular airline and have you noticed
one of the requirements of a flight crew these days is comedy? Anyway, the Captain
comes on and welcomes us aboard his flight, he tells us the weather conditions, the
temperatures and the time we can expect to arrive. He concludes by telling us that
we can either sit back and enjoy the flight or we can lean forward, tense up and be
miserable. Everyone laughed, but that stuck with me.
Couldn’t the same be said about our Christian walk? Most days shouldn’t we be
humbly confident, trusting, joyful people. I know it will be tough and there are
circumstances where we won’t always just be happy smiling people, but in general
as we trudge through life may we all sit back, relax and enjoy the ride.
Grace and Peace!
Father God,
As we approach Christmas Day, we humbly thank you that
Christ was born; our true hope; our true love and Father
what a radical gift. Because Christ came into this world we
can know that he came to save completely, to intercede for
us, to atone for our sin, to restore us to you and as such we
praise you and say Halleluiah!
Father, B. B. Warfield once said: “The Glory of the
incarnation is that it presents to our adoring gaze, a true
God-man; one on whose almighty arms we can rest and to
whose human sympathy we can appeal.”
Father, this Christmas we just praise you for your glorious
plan of redemption which sent a child that is our wonderful
counselor, our mighty God, our Everlasting Father, our Prince
of Peace; a child who is named Immanuel – God with us!
Father, you sent us a true God-man in whose almighty arms
we can rest; where we can find peace!
Father, may your name be proclaimed, may Jesus become
more and more famous...Lord, give us ears that your word
might touch our hearts, that your word might refresh, that
we might be transformed; all to your glory.
Abba Father, we love you and pray in the most beautiful
name of Jesus Christ...Amen!
Luke 2:14
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
We are looking at Peace this week during advent and as such I have been dwelling a
little on this verse and this word Peace.
Lexicon: Strong's G1515 - eirēnē
Peace of Christianity, the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through
Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and content with its earthly lot, of
whatsoever sort that is...
I love that; peace being the tranquil state of the soul...a state on possible with
salvation by Grace through faith in Christ; a peace that comes with the good news of
Jesus.
John MacArthur explains it so well:
"On earth Peace...what kind of peace? Salvation Peace...peace between man
and God, among those whom God has chosen to delight in. And so the angels
are praising God because He has chosen to delight in bringing salvation peace
to sinners."
So thankful for the Peace of God, Salvation Peace, Shalom, Eirene, May our souls find
that tranquil state only possible through Christ...Immanuel – God with us!
Grace and Peace!
John 1:14
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his
glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and
truth.
I just love that Scotty Smith describes John 1 as the opening movement of a grand
symphony. The birth of Christ is certainly that! It is through this opening
movement that we come to see Immanuel – God with us.
This is the Incarnation or the term used to describe what happened when the
eternal Son of God, "became flesh" as he was miraculously conceived in the womb of
the Virgin Mary. In the incarnation, the divine nature of the
Son was perfectly united with human nature in one divine Person. This person, our
Jesus was "truly God and truly man."
As you continue to think about this (pray about it) I become a little overwhelmed
that my Lord and Savior would leave the perfections of heaven to enter the world to
go from the glory of Heaven to a manger – a trough for animals, would willingly
enter the world to experience the lowest, the worst, the least; just for us.
Verse 14 says he made his dwelling among us and that he came from the Father full
of grace and truth. Amazing! Spurgeon said of this verse that Christ is not just the
picture of grace and truth, but that Christ is the reality of grace and truth! And to me it is that reality that lets us see; lets us experience grace and truth, lets us
experience forgiveness, redemption, restoration; lets us know the love of God as His
children.
This special season my heart is so full of thanks, I am filled with adoration,
a thankful heart for what has come through the birth of Christ while at the same
time I am expectantly hopeful for all that is to come with His return!
Grace and Peace!
