there is a light at the end of our tunnel and that the light is You. Amen.
25…SERVING OTHERS
Good morning! We are in the season of giving. Let’s start today out with a few questions to ponder. When is the last time you gave a gift and expected nothing in return, not even a thank you? Or when is the last time you gave a gift anonymously? Do you give in order to receive the praise you’ll get from others? Or do you give extravagantly so you’ll out shine everyone else?
Matthew 6:3-4 tells us that “when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing that your alms may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will repay you.” Some of my greatest blessings have come from giving anonymously. I pray that those who have given to me in secret will experience great blessings, too. I think the question we really need to ask ourselves is, “What’s our motivation for giving?” If we look to Jesus as our example when it comes to giving, our motivation should be all about serving others … plain and simple, just serving others.
Some people go plum crazy with how much they spend on Christmas gifts. Some spend so much that they are paying for those gifts on credit cards all year long. I might look at things wrong, but I believe that our giving should just be a reminder of our love for those we give to instead of trying to “buy” their love by spending a fortune. Jesus showed us the best way to give...giving of ourselves. Money can’t buy the feeling we get when we give of our time or talents to help others. During this holiday season, give a gift that only you can give by serving others. Let the gift of your time and attention be the one gift not on their list because they didn’t know how such a gift would warm their heart. And you don’t need a gift receipt either because this is a gift worth holding on to.
Lord, there is no one that can out give You. As we give, examine our hearts and bring to light any wrong motives we might have as we give to others. Thank You for giving us the perfect example for what it looks like to give from a pure heart. Amen.
26…FEASTS OF ALL FEASTS
Good morning! I’ve received gift cards to some of my favorite restaurants as Christmas gifts. And I have to admit, that excites me to no end!!!! I love eating out. Well, the truth is that I just love food in general. I had to ask myself after I used one of the gift cards this week whether it was ok to be this jazzed about food. But then I thought about all the references to food that we find in the Bible. There’s the Lord’s Supper, the feast with the story of the prodigal son, along with too many other feasts to count. I Googled to see how many verses mentioned food in the Bible and it said at least 112 times.
As I was reading some of those verses, I landed on one that seemed new to me. Matthew 22:2 says, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king, who gave a wedding feast for his son.” Wow, now that’s a picture that I enjoyed putting in my head. One day, that mental picture will be a reality for all Believers. Can you imagine what that will be like???
But not everyone we currently know will be able to enjoy that feast. Only those that have accepted the gift of salvation will enter Heaven. The best Christmas gift that you could EVER give someone is Jesus. Helping someone understand that as sinners, which we all are, we are at odds with God. The only way we can be in His presence is to be holy. And since we can’t fix that sin problem alone, God gave us a way through the shed blood of the perfect lamb, Jesus, to atone for our sins. Once you’ve accepted this in your heart and told God that you want this gift, you then become a child of God. As you enjoy your Christmas dinners, let the food remind you of what is waiting for every child of God. And then do what you can to share this Good News of Jesus so that everyone you know can enjoy the feast of all feasts waiting for Believers in Heaven.
Lord, how we await that feast with You in heaven. Nothing on earth can compare with what that glorious day will be like. Help us to tell others about this feast and what it takes to get an invitation. Amen.
27…THE GIFT OF JESUS
Good morning! During this time of year, little ones have made their list of things they want to receive from Santa. They wait with great anticipation for Christmas to arrive, so they can see if their wishes came true by the packages they open under the Christmas tree. There will be squeals of joy when they open that gift that they’d asked for. All will be well in their little world. Too bad we can’t bottle that joy and spread it throughout the entire year.
I thought about this as I was reading in 1 John 4:13. “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, in order that you may know that you have eternal life.” The most precious gift we could ever give our children is the gift of Jesus Christ. If we could help our kids understand who Jesus is and what He has done for us, Christmas would be much different for them. The gift of Jesus is eternal, unlike the Christmas gifts they receive from Santa. Wouldn’t it be great if we spent as much time talking to our kids about the true reason for celebrating Christmas, which is Jesus, than we do making gift lists and having their pictures taken with Santa?
Leading our kids to the Lord would provide a gift for all eternity. They wouldn’t need that bottle of joy I referred to earlier because they would carry with them a joy that surpasses all, knowing that they had been accepted by the Giver of joy Himself and that they’d belong to Him forever. That is my prayer for this Christmas season … may true Joy reign forever!
Heavenly Father, help our heart’s desire of wanting our kids and grandkids to grow up knowing You. There is no better time of the year to share with them all You are and what You mean to us. Thank you for helping us share our faith with them and thank You for the only gift that will last for all eternity … Jesus. Amen.
28…LIGHTEN THE LOAD
Good morning! I stand in awe once again of how God takes care of everything He has created. Recently, I was playing outside with my dog, when I heard a flock of geese getting close. As they came over my house, I watched how they flew in an inverted V-shape. When the one in the front had flown in that position for awhile, he’d break off and go to the back of the flock where it’s burden wasn’t as great and another one would take the front position.
This reminded me of what God calls us to do. Galatians 6:2 tells us to, “Bear one another’s burdens, and thus fulfill the law of Christ.” When we have burdens too great to carry by ourselves, that’s when as brothers and sisters in Christ, we are to come alongside and offer help. Each and every one of us will have our own load to carry, and God expects us to carry that load. But when life dishes out more than what we can handle alone, that’s when we need the help of others.
Holidays are a really good time to help those whose burdens are many. It might be a single mom, who, even though she works a couple of jobs, can’t afford to give her kids the Christmas that she’d like. It could be someone that has lost a loved one and the holidays just remind them of that void. Or it could be someone who is fighting a terminal illness wondering if this is their last Christmas. Whatever the need is, it doesn’t take a lot to step in to help bear their burdens. As you pick up gifts for your loved ones, pick up a few extra and drop them off to a family in need. For those that have lost loved ones or are fighting a terminal illness, give them some of your time. Stopping by to just say hello and to give them a hug lets them know that they’re not alone. So whatever God is calling you to do, I pray that you would be obedient. You might just be what they need to renew their hope.
Lord, thank You that Your Word shows us how we are to live this life. Help us lighten someone’s load today. Amen.
29…KEEP TURNING THOSE PAGES
Good morning! Have you ever gotten so wrapped up in reading a great book that you’ve lost track of time? A good author will captivate you by bringing each character alive. As you read chapter after chapter, you can’t read fast enough so you can turn the page to see what will happen next. I like the “happily ever after” endings to a book, but it doesn’t always happen that way.
Our lives are often compared to a book. We go through chapter after chapter, daily turning the page to find out what will happen next. There will be twists and turns in the plot. We will experience things that we never thought would happen to us, both good and bad. We will take journeys that stretch