But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be the sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped tightly in cloth and lying in a manger.” - Luke 2:10-12
Lilly and I are both into the Holiday spirit, especially Christmas, so we have the house decorated with a tree, stockings on the mantle, and lights in and outside!
Tonight, Lilly and I made “ugly Christmas sweater cookies with cookies in the shape of sweaters and cream cheese icing. YES, cream cheese icing.
After getting super messy with frosting, we did a gift swap. Lilly’s mom made me the cutest little slippers ever (that I’d wanted for a little while), along with other gifts that Lilly had also gotten me. We watched Elf and laughed so hard and ate the best vegetable soup ever, (made by me haha).
I’m so blessed to have gotten to have a joy filled roommate Christmas. I can’t help but be reminded of God’s kindness, grace and generosity.
Dear friend, God delights in giving His children gifts. He blesses us with so many gifts in life and the best gift that He's ever given us is His son, Jesus. Not only was Jesus a gift, but He was a promise to a promise that was fulfilled. However, with promise comes sacrifice.
During this Christmas season, I think of the promise of Jesus as savior, but the sacrifice that had to be made for salvation.
Christmas is such a fun, beautiful time of year. What Jesus did for us is beautiful in a literary and narrative form. But in a literal sense, Jesus died so that we can live. A savior was promised, and he was born. A blessing to the entire world.
However, thirty three years after his promised birth, came His sacrifice of death on the cross for our sins. He became sin for us in order to put sin to death when He died. When he rose from the dead, he was made new, and those who believe in Him are also crucified and raised to life with Him. The chains of sin are gone and we’re set free. He was the ultimate sacrifice and a fulfilled promise.
Today, your gift may be salvation. We fall short and we don’t measure up to the standard God has set for us, and our good deeds are not enough. God wants our hearts. Surrender equals humility. admitting that we don’t measure up. We’ve rebelled against God in our own ways, abandoned the true lover of our souls and have chosen ourselves and other things over Him. I encourage you to silently ask yourself, what is it you’ve chosen over God? Tell Him. He desires to heal and deliver you.
We get to respond to this by surrendering to Him, and placing our trust, hope and belief in Him. You don’t have to muster up feelings of faith, it’s only something God can give you. Faith starts with God, as the book of Ephesians chapter 2 tells us that it is only by His grace through faith (that He gives us), that we are saved. It’s not about what we do or don’t do, but about what He did. You just have to surrender.
If you feel a tugging or stirring in your heart to surrender to Him, do so. Place your trust in Him. He wants to be your savior. Romans, a book in the Bible, tells us in chapter 10 verses 9-10 that "if we confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord and believe with our hearts that God raised Him from the dead, then we will be saved. As it is believing in our hearts that we are made righteous, and confessing with our mouths that we receive salvation."
As mentioned earlier, God wants to give us our hearts desires. But he first says to delight in and to abide in Him. Psalm 37:4 says to “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” John chapter 14 says that if we abide in Him, anything we ask will be given. These verses don’t just mean that God will give us whatever we want, but that when we’re abiding in Him, His desires become ours and our truest desire becomes Him alone and to be like Him. It’s not about receiving the gift, but instead, desiring and loving the giver. Everything else is secondary. It’s not until we delight in the giver that we can truly appreciate and deeply enjoy the gifts that He gives.
I love Christmas and all the decorations and the giving spirit and family coming together. But Jesus Christ, our promised savior being born, is what is most important to reminisce on. He alone is solely what this season and holiday is about. He’s who and what we celebrate.
Isaiah 9:6-7
“For a child will be born for us,
a son will be given to us,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
He will be named
Wonderful Counselor,Mighty God,
Eternal Father,Prince of Peace.
7 The dominion will be vast,
and its prosperity will never end.
He will reign on the throne of David
and over his kingdom,
to establish and sustain it
with justice and righteousness from now on and forever.”
and the government will be on his shoulders.
He will be named
Wonderful Counselor,Mighty God,
Eternal Father,Prince of Peace.
7 The dominion will be vast,
and its prosperity will never end.
He will reign on the throne of David
and over his kingdom,
to establish and sustain it
with justice and righteousness from now on and forever.”
So much love,
Rickari
Post a Comment