FOCUSING ON THE REAL REASON FOR THE SEASON

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In Christ, Mark

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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Desire without knowledge is not good—how much more will hasty feet miss the way!

Gold there is, and rubies in abundance, but lips that speak knowledge are a rare jewel.

Proverbs 19:2, 20:15      

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Well, we’re getting deep into the holiday season. Only 21 more days until Christmas. People are hustling and bustling frantically trying to purchase gifts and get boxes mailed and decorate their homes and attend holiday parties.

It can get maddening at times, would you agree?

And I think this is just the way that Satan would like it to be this time of year, for us to be focused on everything else except the coming of God’s greatest gift to us all, Jesus.

You see, this time of year has a way of igniting our desires and moving our feet hastily to this and that, trying to get everything done before Christmas, as if we need to clear our schedules and get everything done so we can have one day to just celebrate the Messiah who came to earth to save us all.

Perhaps, we’re missing the point. Perhaps we are playing out the following proverb in real time:

Desire without knowledge is not good—how much more will hasty feet miss the way! Proverbs 19:2

When our priorities are out of whack, our desires trumping reason and wisdom, our hasty feet run us ragged to achieve worldly purposes and through that, we miss the way. While focusing on all the wrong things during the Christmas season and beyond, we miss the One, Jesus, who is the Way and the Truth and the Life.

The advent season, centered on the four weeks leading up to Christ’s birth, was intended to prepare ourselves for the celebration of our Savior’s coming. It’s a time to clear our hearts and minds to receive God’s only Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born to a young betrothed virgin and her faithful fiancée, to allow Christ to be born again anew within our spirits and souls, to find our hearts and minds buoyed up in joy and love and hope.

Borrowing a line from a young boy Linus who seemed to possess the wisdom of Solomon as he shared the words of Luke, Chapter 2:

“That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.”

Perhaps he is speaking to all our hearts today. Perhaps he is drawing us back to what should be most important this holiday season and beyond. Perhaps it isn’t Linus or me writing today, but the Lord Himself who us speaking to us, exhorting us to slow down, rethink what we’re doing, and get ourselves back on the right way, the way that leads us to celebrating and praising the Messiah’s coming.

When we fall back on the promises of the scriptures and allow that to be the center of this special time of year, we find riches that cannot be bought at any store sale or given to us by someone in a box or a bag. The true jewels of Christmas are found in the knowledge and truth we find in the word of God, the word of God from the prophet Isaiah that says this about our coming Savior, Jesus:

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders.

And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.

The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.  Isaiah 9:6-7

Friends, we have the knowledge of Christ’s coming through the promises of the word, precious gems of encouragement, hope, and love. Won’t you take the time to slow down, put your hasty feet to rest, and begin to prepare a place in your heart today, a personal Bethlehem manger where Christ can be born afresh this Christmas?                                      

Amen.

In Christ,
Mark
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