We can't always figure Christmas out - we just need to enter into the gift that it is.

If you are entering the final few days of Advent, trying to figure out the mystery of the birth of the Messiah, then I invite you to give up trying to figure it out and rather to enjoy the gift of Jesus' birth. There are some things that we can intellectually comprehend, while there are others that we only come to 'understand' in the depths of our being. 

1 Corinthians 1:27-28 – “But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things - and the things that are not - to nullify the things that are…”

God still chooses the weak things of the world to shame the strong. Humility and availability are more important to God than our pride or even our talents. Of course, God, we still use these for his glory, but he would prefer us to approach the manger on our knees in worship. 

Luke 1:37 – “For nothing is impossible with God.”

Living in grace

D3LM3

Wave after wave

The image of waves crashing onto the seashore is a beautiful picture for us all. There is something therapeutic about hearing the waves washing onto the sand or crashing onto the rocks. When we read these words from Luke 1, in a paraphrased version of the Bible, we note that this same image is highlighted. 

"What God has done for me will never be forgotten, 

the God whose very name is holy, set apart from all others.
His mercy flows in wave after wave,
on those who are in awe before him.
He bared his arm and showed his strength,
scattered the bluffing braggarts.
He knocked tyrants off their high horses,
pulled victims out of the mud.
The starving poor sat down to a banquet;
the callous rich were left out in the cold.
He embraced his chosen child, Israel;
he remembered and piled on the mercies, piled them high.
It’s exactly what he promised,
beginning with Abraham and right up to now." - Luke 1:46-55

Food for thought:

1. What resonates with you as you hear these words?

2. Is there a connection between these words and your Lenten journey?

3. How can this thought change your heart and attitude today?

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Light is about to break upon us...

“And you, my little son, will be called the prophet of the Most High, because you will prepare the way for the Lord. You will tell his people how to find salvation through forgiveness of their sins. Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us..." - Luke 1:76-78

In these moving words from Zechariah, I have noted a number of powerful thoughts:

1. John's mission is to show people how to find salvation through the forgiveness of sins. Our salvation will not come from our righteousness, but rather through the grace of God and the righteousness of Jesus.

2. We may not understand why God allows things to happen, but it is important to remember that God is full of tender mercy.

3. The beautiful morning light is about to break upon us - the time to celebrate the birth of Christ is very close.

As time draws us closer to the birth of our Lord, may we look out for His Light and Mercy. 

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Thoughts on International Women's Day

Today is International Women's Day (8th March) and so I would like to honour all of our women readers, as well as the women in our community. May God bless you all. 

To celebrate this occasion from a Christian perspective, I offer you three quotes from remarkable women of faith. These ladies may not be known by us all, but their legacy lives on through the witness of their faith. 

 “The moment we come into any trial or difficulty, our first thought should be, not how soon can we escape from it, or how we may lessen the pain we shall suffer from it, but how can we best glorify God in it.” - (Susannah Spurgeon)

“The fact that I am a woman does not make me a different kind of Christian, but the fact that I am a Christian makes me a different kind of woman.” - (Elisabeth Elliot)

"Look what the Lord has done for me! My people were ashamed of me, but now the Lord has taken away that shame." - Elizabeth (Luke 1:25)

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Courageous Song

As I have been reading and reflecting on Mary's Magnificat (Luke 1:39-54) this week, I was stopped in my tracks by these thoughts from Rev. Carolyn Sharp. She says:

“Don’t envision Mary as the radiant woman peacefully composing the Magnificat. Instead see her as a girl who sings defiantly to her God through her tears, fists clenched against an unknown future. When we do this, Mary’s courageous song of praise [becomes] a radical resource for those seeking to honour the holy amid the suffering and conflicts of real life.”

I think that this is deeply profound. 

Singing and praising God, when we are going through good times is easy, but offering God worship and thanks, when we are confused, stressed and worried, is a true test of courage. 

How often do we trust Jesus when we are faced with the gathering of the storm clouds?

“Pray, and let God worry.” - Martin Luther

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Surprise

Luke 1:63-64 - Asking for a tablet, Zachariah wrote, “His name is to be John.” That took everyone

by surprise. Surprise followed surprise—Zachariah’s mouth was now open, his tongue loose, and

he was talking, praising God!

If we insist on putting God into our own little "box", then we should not expect to be surprised

by God's AWESOMENESS. Sometimes we limit God so much. Wouldn't it be wonderful to expect

God to show up and 'surprise' us every day?  Take the gathering of over 1 million Christians

outside Bloemfontein this weekend, as well as the thousands of other people gathering to pray

around the country. Wasn't that a 'God' moment - a surprise of sorts? Of course it was.

1 Corinthians 2:9 - "However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and

what no human mind has conceived”— the things God has prepared for those who love him—"

Have a wonderful day and may God surprise you.

Living in Grace

D3LM3

The depths of who I am

"Mary said,“With all my heart I glorify the Lord!
⁴⁷     In the depths of who I am I rejoice in God my saviour.
⁴⁸ He has looked with favour on the low status of his servant.
    Look! From now on, everyone will consider me highly favoured
⁴⁹         because the mighty one has done great things for me.
Holy is his name.
⁵⁰     He shows mercy to everyone,
        from one generation to the next,
        who honours him as God." - Luke 1:46-50 (CEB)

Christmas has the potential to impact the "very depths of our being", if we will allow Christ to change us. Who we are can be completely redefined by the message of Christmas. 

Will you allow Jesus into the depths of your heart this year?

Living in Grace

D3LM3

 

It is not over YET...

As long as you have breath, it is not over YET.
Hang in there and believe in the miracles that God can reveal in and through us.

"For with God, nothing shall be impossible!" - Luke 1:37

Hold unto this belief and see what God can do. May you have a blessed week.

“When we do the best that we can, we never know what miracle is wrought in our life, or in the life of another.” - Helen Keller

When we do the best that we can, we never know what miracle is wrought in our life, or in the life of another. Helen Keller
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/miracle.html

 

 

n we do the best that we can, we never know what miracle is wrought in our life, or in the life of another. Helen Keller
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/miracle.html

 

 

 

 

Living in Grace
D3LM3