December?

Read something this morning that I just had to share.

Luke 2: 1 - 20

"Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you." --Psalm 73:25 A word from the Word: Read Luke 2:1-20 "While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn." -- Luke 2:6-7 Food for Thought: December? December. What rolls through your mind as you think about December? As we ponder the month of December, we come face to face with a holiday that has much more to do with commercialism than with the holiday that bears his name; Christmas, the birth of Jesus. Every once in a while out in about while we shop for loved ones, we may see a nativity scene or some Christmas cards with the birth narrative depicted. It’s a well attested belief, that Jesus wasn’t born on December 25th, and there is no mention in Scripture of God’s people celebrating what we know as Christmas, let alone celebrating the birth of Jesus in the same way we do. But for many, because Christmas bears the name of Christ, many will celebrate in some fashion or another the birth of Mary’s son, Jesus. This time of year, we remember the coming to earth of the Holy One. God trading heavenly garments for garments made of flesh. You would think, that with the arrival of Divinity, that there would have been some sort of royal welcome. The kings of earth rolling out the red carpet for the King of Kings. But this is not the case. Instead of red carpet, and a parade, we are immersed into meager beginnings for this coming King. A manger, full of animals, and stench is where our Savior is born. There were no rooms available for Joseph, and the pregnant Mary that rode along to Bethlehem. Despite, the lack of comfortable sleeping arrangements, and lack of hospitality, Mary and Joseph settle in for the night in the only place they could find, a smelly manger. Only to their surprise, her water breaks, and labor begins. Minutes turn to hours, and finally, with one final push, He has come. Just minutes old, mother and dad are holding the Ancient of Days. Human hands are caressing the Hands of God. The One not bound by time or space is wrapped in dirty cloths made of linen. Nine months of anticipation and wonder are but a small segment of the wonder this baby would bring into their lives. Settling in for their first night together as a family, there is a knock at the door. Shepherds wide eyed with wonder, have come, for they were given an angelic announcement about the birth of the Savior. Shepherds were the lower class of their day, dirty, unclean, and uncivilized. How strange, that God would come the socially unacceptable to announce His arrival. You would have thought that God would announce His coming at the Temple. Wouldn’t the religious elite delight at the news? That would have made sense, but sometimes God just doesn’t make sense. He doesn’t have to, you know? Shepherds just don’t leave their sheep in the field, but then again, it’s not everyday an angelic host announces the birth of the Messiah. The birth of Jesus would bring more guests. Wise men from the east, come roughly two years later with gifts of incense, gold and myrrh. What possibly could this baby need, but still they came, and still they gave gifts. I guess the saying is true, wise men still seek Him. No other birth in history has been so revered. For no other child has held the promise of eternity like this one does. Jesus was no ordinary child. And people come to this event still wide eyed with wonder. The world will slow down, even if for just a moment to remember this baby born in an out of the way manger. What child is this? Have you let Him, grow up in your life? As we go about the hustle and bustle of the holidays, may we keep proper perspective about what this holiday is all about. December will come and go, but the promise of life lingers long after the tree is put away. Take time this year to remember the reason why we are celebrating. It may do you some good. Merry Christmas. By Jason Retherford