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Respite For the Weary
Across America, and the world, has Christmas become just another reason to throw a seasonal party?
Christmas is upon us, and we're all getting ready for...what? Is there a purpose behind this preparation? Across America, and the world, has Christmas become just another reason to throw a seasonal party?
I asked this very question to myself as I hung my wreath on my own front door. Why the wreath? Does this circular object have meaning, or is it just "pretty" and "fitting" at Christmas? And along with that, why the greenery and red ribbons that wrap around so many door frames, staircases, and mantles? I love the festive look, but is that it? When I asked these heart-questions, the Lord gently reminded me of a passage of Scripture:
Each household is to take a lamb...your lamb shall be an unblemished male a year old...the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel is to kill it at twilight. Moreover, they shall take some of the blood and put it on the doorposts..." Exodus 12:3,5-7
When my mind settled on these verses, the crimson red ribbons that accompany the evergreen boughs at Christmas became much more than mere traditional decor found on the shelf at Michael's. I suddenly felt a beautiful connection to the Israelites of old. Their Savior is my Savior. I have a Protector over my household as well. He has come, and He lives within. The greenery with red ribbon reminds me to bow my heart in humbled worship.
Here's another thought: Could the circular wreath we hang on our doors represent God's matchless love that is complete because of the birth, death, and resurrection of His Son? In your mind's eye, trace your finger around a wreath from top, to bottom, to top while reading these all too familiar words:
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16
He came from heaven to earth to be with us, in order to bring us to heaven to be with him. The wreath proclaims eternal life all because of Immanuel!
So as the world celebrates, does the world know why? When you look at your wreath and the greenery at your door or on your mantle, celebrate your Savior. May the red ribbon remind you of His crimson blood shed for you and your household! Rejoice! His entry into the world has purchased your entry into heaven. This is what the world needs to know. Yes, may our homes and our hearts and our voices sing together, "Joy to the world, the Lord has come!"
Our lives can be compared to one large puzzle, with God Himself being the puzzle-worker. All the pieces are present from the beginning, and there is a beautiful masterpiece waiting to be put together by its Creator. He knows where each piece fits, and He knows exactly when to put it in its place. Every piece is different in shape and markings; some are bright and full of color, while others are drab and dreary, serving as a neccessary backdrop to the revealed glory by its side.
Do you trust your Puzzle-Working God? In other words, do you undoubtedly believe that God knows best in both the timing and the order of your days? Or, do you find yourself becoming impatient, wanting to yank the "puzzle pieces" from His hand and do life yourself? Be careful, the bible teaches that there will be consequences to this method. Think of Sarai, Abram's wife, who decided to take matters into her own hands in order to fulfill God's promise of bearing a son (Genesis 16).
Do you find joy in your Puzzle-Working God? Or are you upset with Him because your picture is not the one you would have picked for yourself? The bible speaks of this as well in the Potter/Clay analogy: You turn things upside down, as if the potter were thought to be like the clay! Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, "He did not make me"? Can the pot say of the potter, "He knows nothing?" (Isaiah 29:16). I know there have been specific times in my life when I have had to beg the Lord to change my embittered clinched fists to joyful hands of praise... and He gracefully answers my repentant prayers.I encourage you to rest your impatient hands and your questioning heart in a God who is fully trustworthy and entirely faithful--even in the drab and dreary times of your life! These pieces, too, are a significant and irreplacable part of your beautiful picture. God promises hope and contentment in His word when you just can't see or understand what He is up to in your days. There is no challenge too difficult or no project too confusing for this Grand Puzzle-Worker. He longs to willingly and winsomely create your life's portrait, piece by piece, peace by peace.
Monday
Picture: Tree (the seed and roots)
Scripture: Matthew 13:1-9,18-23; Jeremiah 17:5-8
Write any phrases from the selected Bible verses that speak to you:
Take a quiet minute to focus on the underground elements of a tree: the seed, the soil, and the roots. With this in mind, consider the importance of being spiritually planted in God’s rich soil.
Where is your seed planted?
How deep are your roots?
Write a prayer using the daily verses as a reference:
Wednesday
Picture: Tree (the growth process)
Scripture: Isaiah 55:10-13; Isaiah 61:3; Psalm 92:12-15; 1 Corinthians 13:11
Write any phrases from the selected Bible verses that speak to you:
Think about a tree’s growth process, one that starts as a small sapling, but after many years, it slowly reaches its flourishing maturity. Just as a tree withstands the various seasonal weather changes year after year, our spiritual growth also endures various kinds of circumstances in each season of life.
Are you wiser today in your understanding of God and His word than you were when you first came to know the Him? In what ways?
What are some (positive or negative) circumstances in your life that have caused you to grow in your faith?
Write a prayer using the above verses as a reference:
Monday
Picture Scripture: Vessel (the Creator/Potter)
Scripture: Jeremiah 18:1-6; Psalm 119:73; Psalm 139:13-18
Write any phrases from the selected Bible verses that speak to you:
Take a minute to meditate on a potter sitting with his clay at his wheel getting ready to create a new vessel. This master potter is full of knowledge and experience. Likewise, our Creator is all knowing and good. He designs with purpose and intention. His amazing specialty is His unique touch that He joyfully places on each and every living being.
Who are three people in your life that you admire due to their uniqueness? Explain.
What are three ways in which God has uniquely formed you? Be confident and thankful.
Write a prayer using the above verses as a reference:
Tuesday
Picture: Vessel (the moldable clay)
Scripture: Genesis 1:26-28, 2:7,18-25; Isaiah 45:9-10; Romans 9:20-21
Write any phrases from the selected Bible verses that speak to you:
In your mind’s eye, see a potter easily bending his working project into the vessel of his choosing. The moldable clay submits contentedly to the potter’s hands. In our life, we can sometimes become dissatisfied with who we are or how things are going (or not going).
Are there circumstances in your life that you wish were different? Explain.
Are you discontent with how you are made…physically, mentally, or emotionally? Spend today confessing these things to the Lord and ask Him to lovingly affirm you exactly the way He designed you.
Write a prayer using the above verses as a reference:
Thursday
Picture: Tree (the pruning)
Scripture: John 15:1-7; Ephesians 4:31-32; Romans 8:11-14; Romans 8:28
Write any phrases from the selected Bible verses that speak to you:
Take a minute to think about a gifted gardener pruning his or her carefully sustained rose bushes. Just like this wisdom-driven physical clipping, God’s all wise spiritual pruning is for our good (although most often, it does not feel good!). When these non-fruit bearing branches are broken off however, the result is both beautiful and beneficial not only to you, but to all those you encounter.
Is there a time in your life that you experienced God’s pruning? Explain.
Can you trust God in the pruning process even if you cannot understand what He is doing? Why or why not?
Write a prayer using the above verses as a reference:
When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up my childish ways. 1 Corinthians 13:11
Dear Lord Jesus,
You tell us to be childlike in our faith, but you also implore us to grow up. Show us the difference! As we trust in you wholeheartedly, grow us in wisdom and knowledge, not just for intellectual purposes, but for maturity in our emotions and our actions. Help us to replace childish ways with Christlike ones. In your Name, Amen.