“He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.” 1 John 2:2 NLT
It’s all too easy to miss. The hustle and bustle of this season create an atmosphere that makes it show up on our to-do list as a footnote, or even worse, completely forgotten. It should be sitting in a place of honor above all else.
It’s delivered at the door of our hearts with a gentle knock, never demanding an entrance, a gift that only we can open.
“Be still, and know that I am God!” Psalm 46:10 is not something that we naturally gravitate toward. In a world that is loud, confusing, scary, and all things shiny and bright, it gets drowned out, and easily gets set aside.
I received an invitation of great importance; you did too. I don’t know about you, but, without too much thought, I let it get buried under all the glitter and sparkle, the Christmas jingles, and the presents that need to be created or shopped for, and then wrapped spectacularly. Of course, there is the cookie baking, the meal planning, the parties to go to, and a never-ending parade of things to accomplish to make this a magical time of the year.
But He is still here.
He is still waiting for me to come into the quiet, to be amazed and in awe of what this celebration is all about. He has a birthday party, one we have all been invited to, but all too often we’re outside of the realm of glory, playing with what we have created, never entering into the place of a true King. Never celebrating that our God is with us, Emanual.
“The Gospel is good news for fallen humanity regarding how sins are atoned for, how sinners are forgiven, and how believers are made right with God.” -John MacArthur
There is a Steven Curtis Chapman song from his “All I Really Want for Christmas” that I love to listen to. Every year, when I play this CD, this song makes me pause. The older I get, the more deeply I feel this.
The Miracle of Christmas
A child is born tonight in Bethlehem
His mother holds him close and sings a sweet lullaby
All the world lay sleeping unaware that God Himself has
come in the night
The shepherds tremble as the angels sing
And in their song the voice of God speaks peace to the world
A miracle happened, God has come and God
has spoken
But the miracle has only just begun
And the God who spoke is still speaking
And the God who came still comes
And the miracle still happens in the heart
That will believe
And we see (receive) the miracle of Christmas
So come to Bethlehem again and see
The one who’s come to rescue us, our Savior and King
Bring your past, the joy, the sorrow, all your hope to
find tomorrow
And hear the words again, fear not and know that
God is near
Believe the miracle of Christmas
Will you believe?
As we come to the close of another year, my prayer for you, is that you will know this deeply in your soul.
Be in awe of the miracle.
God is with us.
Open the door of your heart, letting Him in for you to receive the greatest gift that you will ever be given. It was bought and paid for at great cost and will bless you in unimaginable ways. Be still and know that He is God and is worthy of our praise.
Enjoy your family time, have fun, and be silly. These too are gifts from God.
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