Happy Fourth of July!

Make it stand out

Today as we celebrate the Fourth of July, and the birth of our great nation, I think about the Inaugural Address given by America’s first President.

The year was 1789. The date: April 30th. A monumental day in the life of a nation that was just 13 years old. America had declared independence from England on July 4, 1776, but it was not until 1789 that the new nation inaugurated its first President: George Washington.

Standing on the balcony of Federal Hall in New York City (the first capitol of our nation), his address following the Oath of Office acknowledged the critical role that honoring God would play in the success of a nation:

“…it would be peculiarly improper to omit in this first official act my fervent supplications to that Almighty Being who rules over the universe, who presides in the councils of nations, and whose providential aids can supply every human defect, that His benediction may consecrate to the liberties and happiness of the people of the United States a Government instituted by themselves…In tendering this homage to the Great Author of every public and private good, I assure myself that it expresses your sentiments not less than my own, nor those of my fellow-citizens at large less than either. No people can be bound to acknowledge and adore the Invisible Hand which conducts the affairs of men more than those of the United States…we ought to be no less persuaded that the propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right which Heaven itself has ordained…”[i] (bold mine)     

To paraphrase the last sentence in today’s language it might sound like this: “We should know that if we, or any nation, expects to enjoy the favor and blessing of Heaven, then we cannot ignore His ways and live according to our own.” Our first president recognized the importance of acknowledging God in the public arena. Following the address, he led a procession to St. Paul’s Chapel a few blocks away, where he knelt, prayed, and some have said, dedicated the United States to God. An interesting footnote to this story is that this little chapel, which sits in the footprint of the World Trade Center, was the only building in the entire area that was spared during the attacks of 9/11. One of the pews bears a plaque that proudly proclaims it as the very one George Washington used during his visits to the chapel.

From the beginning of our nation, prayer and honoring God have been evident. In 1774, at the initial meeting of the First Continental Congress, the forebears of those who serve in Congress today, noted the initial order of business to be prayer: “Can we open the business with prayer?” While there was some debate owing to the diversity of religions represented, they came to consensus, opened with prayer, and unity followed. The First Prayer Proclamation of 1775 occurred a year before independence, calling for the entire North American continent to set aside a day to pray and fast together.

In 1863, after 45 years of peace and prosperity, President Abraham Lincoln stated:

“We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of Heaven…we have grown in numbers, wealth, and power as no other nation…but we have forgotten God…Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and reserving grace, too proud to pray to the God who made us.” [ii]

Lincoln’s words ring as true today as they were in 1863. As a nation, we have long since turned from living according truth and absolutes of right and wrong. 2 Timothy 4:3 foretold the times in which we are living: “For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to right teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever they want to hear.” The Judeo-Christian foundations on which this nation was founded have eroded away, until like the Israelites of old, “everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Deut. 12:8, Prov. 21:2).

We are reeling from the effects of our turning: vitriolic hatred in our streets and over the airwaves, violent anti-American demonstrations, rampant crime, drug abuse, decline in academic standing, broken families and broken children. We applaud the pluralistic society we have created and the rights we enjoy - freedom of speech and religious expression – are commendable. But have we, in the process of secularizing our society, loosed the underpinnings of our value system by removing God from public life? How is it that we can revere kings and presidents, mere human beings, but the Creator of the universe we hold in contempt through our dishonoring of Him and His ways? To fear the Lord is to give God His rightful place of glory, honor, reverence, thanksgiving, praise, and preeminence. To fear the Lord is to know Him as He truly is: Creator, Sovereign Ruler of the universe, holy, full of power, might, and strength, full of truth and mercy.

            There is much more that could be said of God’s character, His ways, His power, His majesty. But in all of His glorious might, which ought to make us tremble, there is an aspect of His nature that is sorely needed in our world today – His Father heart. In a society like ours that has suffered the ravages of fatherlessness, never has the need been so great for understanding God’s caring, loving heart towards His children…those who were created in His own image. We are raising a generation of young people who have been adversely affected by the lack of a strong, loving father, or father-figure, in the home. Through our legislation, court decisions, and education, we have turned away from God’s intention for the family structure. As a result, our children are growing up with a deficit in their sense of value, identity, and security, all of which affects their ability to make sound judgments and decisions that will impact their future. And the future of our nation, for they are the next leaders.

            As we celebrate Independence Day, let us turn away from our independence from God and acknowledge that there is, indeed, a God in Heaven, who because of His great mercy and awesome majesty, is due the honor, respect, and reverence we ought to give. My prayer is that “we the people,” would heed the words of our first President and recognize that “the propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right which Heaven itself has ordained.”

[i] https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/president-george-washingtons-first-inaugural-speech

 [ii] https://www.abrahamlincolnonline.org/lincoln/speeches/fast.htm

Ask!

How do you respond when God asks you a question?

Recently, I was struck by three instances in Scripture when God asked someone a question. There are many more, but these three caught my attention.

The first instance occurs in 1 King 3:5 when, in a dream, God asked Solomon:

What do you want? Ask, and I will give it to you.

Solomon had just been crowned king over all of Israel by his father, King David. As he is about to take the throne, God appears to him and asks the above question. Imagine yourself in Solomon’s shoes.

How would YOU respond to this profound question? (You can read Solomon’s wise response in 1 Kings 3:6-10.)

The second case is recorded in Esther 5:3. Esther finds herself in a challenging situation. After discovering a plot to annihilate her people, she is persuaded to approach the king to save them. The danger is that she risks her life by entering the king’s presence without an invitation. Nonetheless, she takes the risk, finds favor with the king, and he responds:

What do you want? I will give it to you, even up to half my kingdom.

Speaking through an earthly king, God asks the same question He did of Solomon: What do you want?

She risked everything and, in so doing, saved her people from destruction.

How would YOU respond to this remarkable question?

The third question, in the form of a statement, comes from the lips of Jesus.

You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask for anything in my name, and I will do it (John 14:13-14, NLT).

How would YOU respond to this astonishing statement?

In all three passages, God gives us an open invitation to ASK. So, what do YOU need to ask Him for today?

Do you need healing? He is your Healer - Jehovah Rapha.

Do you need financial breakthrough? He is your Provider - Jehovah Jireh.

Do you need peace? He is your Peace - Jehovah Shalom.

Do you need a miracle? He is your Miracle Worker - El Shaddai.

What will you ask for today? Whatever your need, He is the answer. Maybe you’ve asked many times and have been discouraged because you haven’t received a response. Like Esther, take a risk. Ask again. Ask in faith. Ask, believing. Ask, expectant. Ask, receiving.

I believe we are in a God-moment when He wants to respond to your Ask. Isaiah 30:19 promises that He will be gracious if you ask for help. He will surely respond to the sound of your cries.

And Romans 8:32 assures us:

For God has proved his love by giving us his greatest treasure, the gift of his Son. And since God freely offered him up as the sacrifice for us all, he certainly won’t withhold from us anything else he has to give.

I encourage you to put your faith in the One who made this beautiful promise, and one more time… ASK!

The wait is over!

“The wait is over” was a prophetic message I was given during a prayer journey in Muscat, Oman. I interpreted it as a personal word from God, as it was delivered to me in that manner. Like many of us, I have been praying and waiting for the manifestation of prophetic words and scriptural promises from God in my life. The encouragement I received from this word was meaningful as I felt it was from the Lord.

However, it became more than a personal word. As I was traveling home from Oman, I was navigating my way through Customs in New Jersey, weaving back and forth through the rope-and-stanchion lines of people re-entering the U.S. Eager travelers all anxious to make their next flight.

As I inched my way into the next line, right in front of me was a large sign that read:

“The wait is over!”

In that moment, I realized that the word I had received in Oman wasn’t just for me personally; it was a message for all of us as God’s people. The dreams and visions the Lord has given you, which you’ve held onto, believing that one day you would see their fulfillment? The wait is over! The time has come!

In this new year, our role in realizing the dream He has placed in our hearts is to embrace it, believe in it, and take action. He is faithful to fulfill His word! He is granting us permission to dream once more, and to dream big. So, if you have placed your dreams or prophetic words on a shelf, waiting for them to materialize, bring them out, dust them off, and believe once again, because “The wait is over!”

I Heard the Bells

I heard the bells on Christmas Day

Their old familiar carols play,

And wild and sweet the words repeat

Of peace on earth, good will to men.

One of the many Christmas movies I’ve watched this season is called “I Heard the Bells.” A familiar Christmas carol, it was written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, a favorite American poet of the 19th century. He is best known for his poem, “Paul Revere’s Ride.” How many in my generation had to memorize that poem! I still remember the opening lines...

Listen, my children, and you shall hear

Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere,

On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-Five:

Hardly a man is now alive

Who remembers that famous day and year.

Longfellow's famous Christmas carol was written after the tragic loss of his beloved wife. She loved the bells and told their children it wasn’t Christmas until the bells rang out. After her death, he went into a deep depression and stopped writing. The words of the second stanza reflected his anguish:

And in despair I bowed my head:

“There is no peace on earth,” I said,

“For hate is strong and mocks the song

Of peace on earth, good will to men.”

As I ponder those words this Christmas season, they strike a chord in my heart as war and conflict rage in many parts of the world. A quick scroll through social media is filled with echoes of “For hate is strong and mocks the song.” When I consider the insurmountable needs of people on the brink of hopelessness due to loss, financial lack, homelessness, or irrevocably damaged lives, Longfellow's words ring truer than joyful bells on Christmas day.

But God! The only Source of hope in our world today is Jesus Christ. The traditional symbols of Christmas we have come to love, all reflect the one born in an manger.

Christmas lights and candles remind us that Jesus is the Light of the world, come to deliver us from darkness.

The Christmas Tree, with its evergreen branches, represents the everlasting life offered by Christ.

The Christmas Star represents divine guidance and symbolizes hope and purpose.

Angels were the messengers of God bringing good news to men.

The Candy Cane, shaped like a shepherd’s hook, reminds us that He is the Good Shepherd. Through His purity (white) and blood (red),He offers us security and protection. And turned upside down, the candy cane is a “J” for Jesus!

Gift-giving calls to mind the Three Wise Men and the gifts they brought to the Messiah on that first Christmas.

And of course, the Bells. Symbols of joy and celebration that declare: “Today, in the city of David, a Savior has been born to you” (Luke 2:11).

The last two stanzas of Longfellow’s carol express the renewed hope he found as he encountered Christ once again at Christmas time:

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:

“God is not dead, nor doth he sleep;

The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,

With peace on earth, good will to men.”

Till, ringing singing, on its way,

The world revolved from night to day,

A voice, a chime, a chant sublime,

Of peace on earth, good will to men!

This Christmas, may each of the symbols of this wonderful season remind you that there is a Savior who came in the flesh as a little baby with one purpose in His life: to give it away so that you may know eternal life and His unconditional, unrelentless love for you.

I pray your Christmas will be “merry and bright” and filled with treasured gifts from the Father’s heart to yours.

Merry Christmas!

Diane

Colors of Glory

Black and white days and shades of grey

A Kodachrome life….

Drained of color –

            disappointment here

            distress there

            hardship here

            heartbreak there.

Where have all the colors gone?

The palette of your life once

  Alive

    Vibrant

     Radiant

Where have they gone?

Drained

Muted

Muddled by life.

Till nothing but grey remains.

Then the Master comes –

Palette in hand, brushes at the ready –

He beckons me…Come, be my canvas!

I paint your life with My colors!

      Radiant reds

       Azure blues

         Vibrant violets

            Sun-filled yellows

            Meadow greens

            Liquid aquas

Colors explode right then left

Colors above

Colors beneath

Colors…

Washing away the greys –

            the black and white of your life –

I paint your life with colors

            beyond the rainbow

                        beyond the heavens

I paint your life with the colors of My glory.

Prophetic Insights for 2024

Happy New Year!

With 2023 in the rear-view mirror (can you believe it?!), we have leaped into a new year...a leap year, actually! I hope your holiday season was filled with wonderful memories of family, friends, and fun times together. Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year with the beautiful lights, Christmas music, the smell of evergreens and yummy cookies baking, and the giving of gifts. And the most important gift of all...Jesus, born in a manger, Emmanuel, God with us.

PROPHETIC INSIGHTS FOR 2024

As I prayed about the coming year, I felt the Lord direct me to Haggai 2:6 - 

In a little while, I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I will shake all nations, and what is desired by all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory...the glory of the present house will be greater than the glory of the former house.

It doesn't take prophetic insight to discern that we are in the midst of great shaking in our world: the war in Israel, the economy, the southern border crisis, anti-semitism, hatred and vitriolic speech in the media fueling division among people. In the Body of Christ, prominent leaders have fallen, causing a shaking in many of God's people. Tumultuous times. Our minds can fill with dread and consternation as we look to the future.

EXODUS FROM EGYPT

As I asked the Lord about this, I felt He led me to Exodus and the plagues against Egypt. The significance of the plagues was not so much about rescuing the Israelites from Egypt, as it was about communicating to them, and the Egyptians, who God really is.

The Israelites had been slaves in the land for 400 years, and had forgotten their covenant with the God of all power. The Egyptians worshiped false gods and each plague targeted one those gods. Each plague parallels the "gods" of our culture. Without detailing each plague, here are just three examples.

Plague #1 - The Nile turned into blood. Targeting the Nile, worshiped as the god of life and fertility, it became a representation of death instead. I see a parallel in the bloodshed of lawlessness rampant in our world.

Plague #3 - The gnats, or "biting" insects. This represents the "biting" words that create havoc through social media and news outlets.

Plague #10, the final plague - Death of the first born. This speaks to me of the plague of abortion in our world. 

GOSHEN

The Bible tells us that God made a distinction between His people and the Egyptians when He released the plagues. 

I will set apart the land of Goshen in which My people live...I will make a clear distinction between My people and your people (Exodus 8:22). 

The Israelites were set apart in a region of Egypt called Goshen. It was a very fertile and lush region of Egypt where all their needs were provided for. As comfortable as Goshen was, it was merely a place of transition. They didn't settle there...they were on their way to the Promised Land.

Goshen was a place of protection and security for the Israelites. They did not suffer from the plagues of flies, death of their livestock, hail, darkness, or death of their firstborn. Despite the chaos surrounding them, the Israelites were at peace.

My sense is that God will provide a “Goshen” for us, His people, in the midst of the turmoil and shaking around us. 

Our Goshen is the place of His presence.

CONFIRMING DREAM

As if to confirm this word, I woke up from a dream the day after receiving this revelation. I was in bed, in a house with my family. With great intensity, one of them shouted: 

"It’s time to get up! It's time to wake up! Look at the clock – it’s 6:75!"

I looked at a digital clock on the bed stand with red numbers that read 6:75. I could smell breakfast cooking and started to get out of bed. I woke up. I wondered: “6:75 is not an actual time. What could that mean, Lord?”

I felt like I heard...6:00 am plus 75 minutes is 7:15. As I do when I have a vivid dream about a specific number, I went to each book of the Bible, looking up Chapter 7 verse 15.

The very first reference in Exodus 7:15 recorded the beginning of the plagues! Then in Deut. 7:15 – And the Lord will protect you from all sickness. He will not let you suffer from the terrible diseases you knew in Egypt, but will inflict them on all your enemies!

Verses 17-19 continues: Perhaps you will think to yourselves, ‘How can we ever conquer these nations that are so much more powerful than we are?’ But don’t be afraid of them! Remember what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and to all the land of Egypt...Remember the miraculous signs and wonders, and the strong hand and powerful arm with which he brought you out of Egypt. The Lord your God will use this same power against all the people you fear.

As we look around, we're tempted to think: "How can we overcome the chaos and shaking in the world we live in?" It can feel overwhelming.

BUT GOD!

In times like this, it's helpful to remember. Remember the times God came through for you, helped you, provided what you needed. Remember His goodness, kindness, and unlimited grace.

2 Chron. 7:15 follows a verse we are all familiar with: If my people who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.

I love the promise in verse 15: My eyes will be open and my ears attentive to every prayer made in this place.

Prayer is the key to entering the Goshen God has prepared for us.

Many other references to chapter 7, verse 15, have the same theme running through them: VICTORY OVER ENEMIES!

2024 AND THE LAND OF GOSHEN

We will face many challenges, even enemies, in the coming year. But I believe God is saying He will set us in our own “Goshen” – a special place of:

Light in the midst of the darkness;

Security despite the shaking;

Safety in the face of dangers;

Protection and provision in every area of our lives.

Our “Goshen” is His presence.

We enter by FAITH through prayer.

As you head into the New Year, my prayer is that you will take time to sit with Him, talk with Him, and make His presence your priority. May you enter into the protection of Goshen that has been prepared and is waiting for you. 

God's richest blessings for a New Year filled with more of HIM!

A Way in A Manger

Charles Dickens wrote: “It was the best of times and the worst of times.” That can be an apt description for the Christmas season for some. It’s the best of times for many, with all the joys the holiday brings: family gatherings, delicious treats, sparkling lights, and wonderful gifts ‘neath the tree. It is, as the song goes, “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year”!

But for others it can be the worst of times. Loneliness, depression, hunger, darkness, no gifts, no tree, no family. Christmas stirs emotions in a way that no other holiday does.

I lost my mother when I was 16 years old. Christmas had a melancholy-ness about it for many years, even long into adulthood. I’d hear certain Christmas carols, like “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” and my heart would ache. Even after my own children came along, and I had the joy of watching their faces light up on Christmas morning, there was still that little space of sadness in my heart.

Three and a half years ago, my husband was promoted to glory. I have great joy knowing he is in heaven, free from pain and the heaviness he carried in this life. While I am at peace with my life, there are those moments when grief rears its head for a moment. Last week, I drove past a house with all-blue Christmas lights that glowed in the darkness. By the time I reached my daughter’s home, the tears were flowing because my husband always liked all-blue lights on our house at Christmastime.

But this Christmas, it isn’t my own sadness I’m feeling, as much as it is for those who have lost loved ones this past year. Several of my friends and family have suffered the heartache of grief this year, and how painful it is to walk through each “first” without the one you love. Especially at Christmas. 

We are not without hope. When you’ve given your heart to the One who came in a manger, you find that God makes a way even in the “worst of times.” Jesus stepped out of His glory in eternity, wrapped Himself in the flesh of His own creation, and came to be with us. In our sorrow. In our sadness. In our pain. Emmanuel. God with us. He carried it all for us (Isaiah 53:4). His presence surrounds, comforts, and strengthens us. His love that came in a manger 2,000 years ago, fills the empty, aching heart.

I love the play on the words in the image above from the familiar Christmas song: God Made A Way in a Manger (Away in a Manger). It’s true...He provided all we need, not only at Christmas, but in every season of the year. He gave us this this hope:

Come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most (Heb. 4:14).

His throne of grace began in a manger. It ended at a cross.

This Christmas, I pray your spirit will be “merry and bright” as you celebrate the birth of the King. If you are lacking joy and feeling sad, I encourage you to take some time at the manger throne and allow Him to fill you with His love and joy and peace this Christmas.

He is Risen Indeed!

We are about to celebrate one of the most important events in all of history – the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Easter Sunday for many is about bunnies, and egg hunts, and candy…lots of candy!

But for believers, the significance of this day is the very bedrock of our faith. As I ponder the events of Good Friday this year, I am struck by the response of nature to Jesus’ death on the Cross and His subsequent resurrection. Matthew tell us as Jesus hung on the Cross from the 6th to the 9th hour, that “there was darkness over all the land” (Matt 27:45). The Greek word translated “land” is ges, and it has the connotation of the entire earth – not just the land around Jerusalem. That means that the entire earth was simultaneously engulfed in darkness. Ancient historians have referred to the darkness that covered the earth at the time of the crucifixion.

Similarly, when Matthew records that “the earth quaked” (Matt 27:51), the same Greek word is used for “earth,” indicating that it was a worldwide earthquake.  There was another earthquake 3 days later when He rose from the dead. Only this time, Matthew tells us it was a “great  (Greek – mega) earthquake.” So impacting was it that huge boulders were torn apart.  What was happening here? 

Just as creation shook when its Creator died on the Cross, so it shook again in response to His resurrection! A cataclysmic, worldwide event was taking place that forever shifted us from Old Covenant to New Covenant…from law to grace. All of nature was responding to what was occurring in the spiritual realm. I’m reminded of a song Sandy Patti recorded many years ago called Was It a Morning Like This?  I love the chorus because it gives us a glimpse of the unseen reaction to the resurrection:

Did the grass sing?

Did the earth rejoice to feel you again?

Over and over like a trumpet underground

Did the earth seem to pound

He is risen!

Over and over in a never-ending round

He is risen! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

So, my question is:

How are we, the highest of His creation, responding to our Creator’s death and resurrection? As we approach Easter Sunday this year, can we pause from the everyday-ness of life to consider the wonder and power of the resurrection? Can we purpose, not only to consider the resurrection, but to walk in the life and power Jesus died to give us? I want to live in the awareness of His presence, His unrelenting grace, and His unlimited love…the love that sent Him to the Cross. Maybe I need to listen to Sandy Patti’s song more than once a year!

How about you? How will you respond?

All I Want for Christmas...

Six-year-old Ellie tip-toed up to reach the mailbox, straining to slip her letter in the slot. The address read:

            Santa Claus

            North Pole

Inside was her Christmas list. What wasn’t written on the letter were her hopes of finding each gift underneath the tree.

“Dear Santa,

I have been a good girl this year. all I want for Christmas is a baby doll, a scooter, and a ipad.

I left you cookies and milk. and a carrot for Rudolph.

thank you. merry Christmas, ellie”

An iPad...a sign of the times!

I have a Christmas list too, but you won’t find them on Amazon or Etsy. You won’t find these at a store at the mall.

It’s a “wish list” of attitudes of the heart modeled by the key players in the story of that first Christmas.

Let’s begin with MARY, JESUS’ MOTHER…

There are many things we could say about Mary’s heart…she had a heart of faith, a heart of courage, a heart of worship. But two attitudes of her heart that I have on my Christmas list are humility and obedience.

Remember when Gabriel came to her and made the incredible announcement that she had been chosen to bear the Son of God (Luke 1:26-33)?

She wondered. How can this be? I’ve never even kissed a man, much less been with one! I’m just an ordinary girl. I’m not of royal heritage. How can it be that Almighty God has chosen me?

Her question was very different from Zechariah’s when Gabriel announced his wife would become pregnant. His question stemmed from unbelief, and he was silenced for 9 months. Mary’s question reflected her faith in God and His ability to do anything. She gave birth to the Savior.

Dire consequences could result from this angelic encounter, yet her heart attitudes of humility and obedience were evident in her response:

Behold the handmaiden of the Lord! Her humble heart.

Let it be to me according to your word!  Her obedient heart.

So, at the top of my Christmas list is the heart attitude Mary had. Lord, help me to continually humble myself before you and yield my life to Your desire and purpose.

JOSEPH

Think of how the news of Mary’s pregnancy must have torn rocked Joseph’s world.

His beloved Mary. She seemed so pure, yet it appeared she had fallen into sin.

He had trusted her. What was he to do?

He could have had her put to death for adultery. But instead, he planned to just put her away secretly, not wanting to make her a public example (Matt. 1:19).

He, too, had a visitor from heaven. It must have been hard to believe the messenger’s explanation of his betrothed’s pregnancy. But he believed and trusted – both God and Mary. He had a heart attitude of trust and acceptance, seasoned with love and grace.

Next on my Christmas list is a heart attitude like Joseph’s: trusting acceptance, believing God at His word. Lord, help me look beyond the surface circumstances and respond with love and care. 

 ELIZABETH

Topping Elizabeth’s Christmas list would have been a baby of her own. Long past the child-bearing age, this righteous woman grieved over the barrenness of her womb. She must have waited and wondered, as most Jewish women of that time, if she might have the honor of bearing the Messiah.

God intervenes and she does conceive…but it is not THE Child.

When her cousin Mary visited, she instantly knew Mary had been chosen to be the mother of the Messiah.

Did she grumble or complain, “Why not me?  I’m older, have served God longer, have kept His commandments. It should have been me.”

No, she responded with praise and deep humility (Luke 1:42-45).

Elizabeth demonstrated a heart attitude of contentment and gratitude.

My list needs an Elizabeth heart attitude: one that is satisfied with who I am and what I have. Lord, help me rejoice with those who rejoice, even when the blessings they are experiencing are ones my heart longs for.

THE SHEPHERDS

Minding their own business and their sheep, an angel came to them with the biggest news of all: The Savior has been born this day in Bethlehem. Awe and wonder filled their hearts! A heavenly host appeared singing God’s praise (Luke 2:8-16).

Filled with wonder, they responded. They dropped everything to go and see this “God-happening” in Bethlehem. What if the shepherds had just been blessed by the “light show,” but kept on tending their sheep? It was late, after all.

They would have missed the most critical turning point in all of history.

This Christmas, may I not miss the wonder of the Bethlehem miracle. A baby, born in a manger, Who came to save me. Lord, may I have a responsive, wonder-filled heart like the shepherds. Let me be willing to turn aside from the busyness to see the miracle in the midst of my everyday life.

And finally, the WISE MEN

Matthew 2 tells us Wise Men had seen His star and traveled to Bethlehem to worship Him who was born King of the Jews. The Magi were considered spiritual advisors and served the king. They studied the stars and the heavens and understood the significance of the new star that appeared in the night sky.

Traveling a great distance, they came to worship the newborn King (Matt. 2:11). They fell down before Him and worshipped with the very best they had: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

The final item on my Christmas list is a heart attitude like the Wise Men had. Lord, I want to worship You with the very best I have to give – my whole heart. You are worthy of nothing less.

I think my Christmas list is complete:

Humility and obedience

Trusting acceptance

Contentment and gratitude

Wonder-filled response

Worship.

So may I ask….

What’s on your list this Christmas?

2.22.22 - A Palindrome of Meaning

A quick google search yields all kinds of interesting information on this Palindrome date. (A palindrome is a number that can be read the same backward and forward.) The fact that this date falls on a Tuesday seems even more noteworthy.

But I’d like to consider the biblical significance of the numbers in today’s date. First of all, what does the number 2 represent? So glad you asked! In biblical numerology, it means agreement, testimony, or unity. 

·   In the Bible, the testimony of 2 witnesses was necessary to bring an accusation. 

·   There are 2 Testaments: Old and New.

·   There are 2 Covenants: Old and New. 

·   There were 2 trees in the Garden of Eden: The Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. 

·   The number 2 represents choice: Choose God’s life and blessing (The Tree of Life) or the self-life (The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil). Joshua 24:15

·   Two great pillars watched over Israel as they navigated the wilderness: the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire.

·   The number 2 represents double, as in double portion anointing, which Elisha asked of his mentor, Elijah, when he was about to be taken to heaven.

·   Jesus sent the disciples out 2 by 2 to testify about Him. 

·   Jesus identified the greatest commandment as twofold: Love God and love your neighbor.

Then there is the number 22, which means light, or revelation. Again, a notable number.

·   There are 22 letters in the Hebrew alphabet, and the 22nd letter is tav, also referring to completion or perfection.

·   “In the beginning…” God spoke 22 things into being. He used words and words are made from letters. Thus, the Hebrew letters from which the words of the Bible are formed, are the building blocks to all life.

·   God’s first words of creation were: “Let there be light…” (Genesis 1:3).

·   David used an acrostic using all 22 letters of the alphabet when writing Psalm 119, with each successive letter starting a new line. This Psalm outlines the perfection of God’s Word and tells us it is a “lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path” (Psalm 119:105).

·   “Light” is found 264 times in the Bible and when divided by 12 (the number of divine authority), it equals the number 22 – light!

·   Light is used 22 times in the Gospel of John and the 22nd time is in John 12:46 where he quotes Jesus: “I have come as a light into the world…”

·   As believers, we are to be the light of the world (Matthew 5:14-15).

One final observation about this palindromic date, there are five two’s – 2/22/22. Five is the number representing grace in the Bible. 

THE BOTTOM LINE

When I consider the meanings of 2/22/22, I sense that on this day, and the days to follow in 2022, we can expect God’s grace to lead us into divine revelation – light! And as the references to the number 2 indicate, we have been graced with free choice by God. Each day presents us with numerous choices and decisions. May we seek Him for revelation and then choose life!