Before the Temple veil, which hung between man and God, was torn in two. Before Jesus died on the cross. Before the victory was won over sin and death; people had to go to priests as their mediators between themselves and God, but with these occurrences that was changed forever. A new priesthood was established.
How do we worship God? Is it by chanting, and singing certain hymns and songs? Is it by placing ourselves in a particular posture? Do we worship by reciting ritual creeds and prayers, or perhaps by performing certain ceremonies and liturgical acts? No, although these things might help us reach a state of worship they are not worship in themselves. Jesus tells us in scripture what it means to worship God... we must do so in Spirit and truth.
Does our Soul thirst for Jesus? Do we love God with a desire that is so strong we feel as though we would die if it were not satisfied? Do we pant for prayer, or long for our need for God to be quenched by immersion in His presence, like the desperate need for water causes desert wanderers to throw themselves into it; gulping mouths full like each might be their last? Can we smell the sweet fragrance of Christ as if we are a desert animal... catching the slightest scent of water from miles away? Does the faint fragrance of Jesus lead us across the parched expanse of life’s deserts as we seek His living water? This is how we should love God, and come to find Jesus.
This is the last day of the year, and we are looking back on our walk with God and asking ourselves what lies ahead. We are using this day to prepare ourselves, just as a traveler who readies himself for the journey before he actually embarks on it. To be certain, there have been many trials and tribulations in 2020, and some of them are ongoing, but God has made preparations for a new day, and the beginning of something fresh... have you made yourself ready for the pilgrimage?
As we go through life, governments, kings, and men will rule over us, but in truth they are allowed this dominion only because God has given it to them. Some are righteous, some simply moral, and others vicious and harsh in nature, but each one serves a purpose that God alone has destined them for, and whether good or bad, they will be judged accordingly. Being given power over us does not insure their salvation, wisdom, or any preferential treatment when they are judged before God.
Do we say that we pray in the Spirit? When we say this it is not altogether true, we mis-speak, because in reality we do not control the Spirit; the Spirit prays of its own accord from within us, and gives utterance to prayer that is within God’s will, while our own prayers are predominately comprised of our will, and weaknesses. Sometimes the Spirit’s prayer is a restatement of ours, but most times it is an intercession that is far beyond our desires and wants. A reconciliation of our will with God’s... a pruning of our wants to conform with what God’s will has planned for us.
Following Jesus and His commandments is glorious, fulfilling, and brings us many blessings, but let there be no doubt... it also comes at a cost. We are told forthright that we must bear our cross to be His disciples. And if we look at the pain and suffering that His cross brought Him, we quickly realize what ours will bring to us... and when we become a Christian there is no escaping this reality.
Do we think that we come to know Jesus because of some accident, or happenstance? Perhaps we think that we sought Him out, and that it was by our own doing, and will, but none of these are true... we come to Him by divine providence. We know Him because God first loved us and has a perfect plan for our lives. We are given into the Hands of Jesus to be redeemed, and made righteous.
For some people the day after Christmas is like falling off of an emotional cliff; the exciting and often hectic days of preparation for Christmas are over, and the emotional and spiritual exhilaration of Christmas Day with all its gifts, family, food, and worship, return to routine daily living once again. Some of us are glad for the rest, peace, and quiet, but others fall into a deep depression. The good news is that Jesus is there for us regardless of how we react, and to help us through each and every day and emotion we feel.
Today we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. We remember the story of Mary and Joseph traveling to Bethlehem, and seeking a room where there was none available. We recall how Jesus was born there, wrapped in swaddling cloth like a newborn lamb being prepared for sacrifice, and placed in a manger. Then we go to the pasture and listen with the shepherds as they are told of this miracle child, but how do we pray today? Do we pray in His name for the simple things we desire, or like Mary whose soul was known to pray fervently in the Holy Spirit as she anticipated His coming?
Tomorrow we celebrate the birth of Jesus, but today my mind is on the exhaustion of Mary. Full with child, and bearing the punishment of Eve, she has travelled a long way by foot and donkey to arrive in Bethlehem... she is exhausted, but tomorrow that will all come to an end with the final pains of childbirth and the cry of God’s own Son. Was that first utterance of Christ a prayer, and did Mary join Him in it?
Christmas Day is but two days away, and when it arrives we will celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, but as we lift Him up in joyous song we should never forget why He was sent to us. All stories have a beginning, and are meant to have an end, the redemption story of our savior Jesus is no different. So as we celebrate the child being born to a virgin, we need to keep in mind His ministry, the empty tomb, and the second coming that we are still longing for.
God protects us from many things as we navigate life, but none more important than when He keeps us from sin, and the temptation which leads us to it. There is a word for His care, and it is “Providence”. Are our eyes open to the bountiful Providence that exists in our lives, and do we not only recognize it, but thank God for it?
Who, or what do we choose to love? Who do we seek out and call our friends? In what way do we come to love them? The answer to these questions tells us a great deal about who we are, and the direction we are inclined to go in our faith. It also tells God if He is the center of our life, or if we have placed something, or someone above Him. God created the garden, and put Adam in it, He meant it to please man and his wife, but never did He intend for it to be loved more than Himself, or for it to be chosen over Him.
We place our love, and confidence, in the people and things around us, but we need to be careful when we do so. Things will fail us, and people will desert us, but the Lord our God will never leave us, and His love through Jesus Christ will shine on us in the darkest of hours... bringing eternity into us as He comes to abide in us.