Monday, December 24, 2012

Merry Christmas, and May God Bless You!

"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."  John 1:14 NKJ

"And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn."  Luke 2:7 NKJ

"Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.  And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.  Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.  For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”  
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:  
       “ Glory to God in the highest,
         And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.”  And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger.  Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child.  And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds.  But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.  Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them."
Luke 2:8-20


Can you imagine being one of the shepherds that holy night?  Can you imagine taking care of your flock (as this Child would one day) and being interrupted by an angel of the Lord?  And then a 'multitude' of heavenly host appear and in heavenly choir sing praises of glory to the Lord?  Can you imagine the depths of wonder your soul would experience?  In the light of the stars and moon and in the glory of the angels, you must be unbelievably scared!  But you are told to not be afraid but instead to know that a Savior is born and He will take care of you forevermore!

So after the angels disappear, imagine standing there in the field with your sheep and your friends and wondering what was going on!  Your life is changed completely!  You didn't see just one angel, as Abraham and Jacob did, you saw a multitude of heavenly host!  A multitude!  How do you catch your breath after that?  After the honor that was bestowed on you to be a witness to such a miracle!

And then you do what they told you and you journey to the cave that houses an infant who will save the world!  How do you even comprehend all that?  You see His young mother cradling the Savior of the World and His earthly father watching nearby, protecting them both.  You fall on your knees and you worship the Babe.  You tell about what the angels told you, and you see His mother listening intently.  What an amazing honor to be chosen to be one of the first to see this and to bring a message from heaven to Mary!

You know how when we see a newborn baby we always marvel at the perfection of their lips and their eyelashes and tiny fingers?  Can you imagine seeing Jesus just hours old?  Knowing, because the angels told you, that He would save the world?  That He was the King of kings?  Do you dare to touch His little hand so that His fingers rest around yours?  What would it be like to touch the Son of God?  What would it be like to kiss the King of kings, the Creator of the universe?

Dear Reader, you can touch the Son of God anytime we want to!  He is in each one of us.  He is in your wife, your child, your husband, your friend, your co-worker, your mom or dad, sister or brother.  He is in the guy down the street that doesn't bring his garbage can up right away.  He is in the homeless, he is in the downtrodden, he is in the teacher, the fireman, the executive, the secretary, he is in us!  Bless someone today with a hug.  If that is too uncomfortable for you, than bless them with a smile right from your heart!  Think of that person as Jesus, your Savior!  Love your fellow man; today do something extra special for someone you don't know.  Let the angels sing, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace, goodwill toward men." 

Merry Christmas!  Our Savior is born, Christ the King, whom shepherds watched and angels sing! 

God bless you, dear Reader, today and everyday, with His mercies great!  May you find hope in the greatest of all Christmas gifts, the One for whom this joyous season is proclaimed!  Wrap yourself in the miracle of Jesus' birth!

Please click below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Zh-yR0pbmU

13 comments:

  1. Erik was in a Christmas play at church yesterday. He was a shepherd. He sang louder than anyone and during one song, he spread his hands out to the baby Jesus. The scriptures read were some of what you have posted here. This is a beautiful Christmas prayer and devotion. Thank you and Merry Christmas!

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    1. Praise God for Shepherd Erik! His heart is filled with the love of the Lord! You must have been very proud of him! Please kiss him and wish him a merry Christmas for me. And Merry Christmas to you, Linnea!

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  2. Great blog. I hope more people read your blog. It's important to remember why He came to earth. We sometimes forget that.

    How would I react if I was a shepherd? I don't know. It's amazing that He would pick the lowest of the low to be the first to know about Jesus. Now we all have equal access to Him. We just need to come to Him.

    This is the time of year that many people are "full of love." We need to be full of the true Love, Jesus Christ. It would be great to be able to kiss the King of Kings. Thankfully, we'll be able to be with Him for eternity when He calls us home.

    Thanks for the article and I hope we all do as the shepherds and go tell the message of the birth of Jesus.

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    1. It is amazing, Yves, that the lowest will become the highest. There is no order of status in the Kingdom, we are all His children!Merry Christmas to you and yours, and may God bless you!

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  3. Oh Deirdre, Praise God for all the miracles of life. Our breathe and the very beautiful around us are all gifts from our Almighty. Thank you for sharing your heart felt thoughts and reminding us that whatever what we face as challenges, we never walk alone. You just just have to believe.
    Merry Christmas

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    1. Merry Christmas, Rosemary! Yes, we are surrounded by miracles of His love for us! Everywhere we turn, if we would just slow down to see! God bless you!

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  4. Good morning and a blessed Merry Christmas to you Deirdre!
    It is so refreshing and encouraging to read the verses of scripture you have written here. It is refreshing, because it brings to my mind the true spirit of Christmas, and it is encouraging, because I know I am not alone. Christ is in us, the hope of glory. I am redeemed by his obedience to come down into a world and save the human race which he loves.
    Thank you for reaching out to us this year. Thank you for being the Herald that you were call to be. Thank you for being the obedient child that is not afraid to show the love you have for the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
    I wish you a blessed Christmas Day, and a new start in the coming year. May God continue to open doors that you thought were not possible and give you peace in the middle of every storm and new beginning.
    I love you.
    Shalom,
    Patricia

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    1. Dear Pat, thank you so much for blessing me. I can't help but feel so humbled by what you have written to me. Yes, may God open those doors that will show me more and more of His glory and love, and inspire me to share that with others so that they too may find Him in their hearts where He lives in peace and love. Merry Christmas, Frohe Weihnachten! I love you too!

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  5. Deirdre, you are indeed one of Christ's angelic messengers! I awoke this morning in celebration of Jesus Christ's birth! Even though the day did not bring sunshine but clouds amidst a rainy day, it was still a day filled with sunshine in the heart and the rain brought raindrops of cleansing. We all have so much to be thankful for each and every day as we move through this earthly life. We are all graced with moments of happiness but also must endure times of toil and sorrow. May we all grow stronger in Christ!

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    1. Beautiful sentiment, Sharla! Merry Christmas and God bless!

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  6. Lovely perspective on the Christmas story. Thanks for giving us this reminder of why we celebrate. I hope you are blessed through all of Christmastide. - Delinda

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    1. Thank you Delinda, I am blessed. And you are too.

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  7. Thank you so much for stopping by, I appreciate you leaving a comment. God bless you, Bekkyman!

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