Christmas Eve…can you believe it? Where has the year gone? My refection of 2010 leaves me with much difficulty and pain…the worst I can ever remember. BUT, as I have always said, and truly believe, painful times are the most wisdom granting (if you will allow them to be). For it’s through our pain that we dig deeper into who we are, who we have been and who we want to become. It’s through our pain that we find out more of who God is. I don’t want to just see the acts of God..I want to know the ways of God…that only comes by crying out to Him and sitting at His feet. It can come no other way. It’s one thing to read about the three Hebrew Children in the fiery furnace; it’s quite another thing to stand in one of your own. You gain knowledge by reading; you gain wisdom by experiencing. Again, I want to know the ways of God, not just read about His acts. This is why the mighty men of God were mighty men of God…because they walked through hell to gain heaven. Abraham was the wealthiest man on earth but not because he said all the right words or thought all the right thoughts. It was because he was in right standing with God and loved him so much that he was willing to take the life of his own son (as God had done) if that was what God required of him. As he raised the knife, the angel stopped him. It was all a test…to see if Abraham loved God with all his heart.
What do you love with all your heart? Money, family, position, prestige, your goals, etc?
I find it intriguing that our world has evolved into a “Happy Holidays” celebration of the birth of Jesus. Many can’t say Merry Christmas but we wouldn’t have the celebration if that tiny baby were not born in the first place. It really is ridiculous that anyone with reasoning ability would take someone else’s birthday and say it can no longer be your birthday; I’m going to make it my celebration. I am going to take all your well-wishes from everyone, all your presents and all your joy and I’m going to use it for my own celebration and gain.
It’s mind boggling that if it had not been for the birth of that tiny baby, the very stores that won’t say Merry Christmas do the majority of their yearly income in the 6 weeks of this blessed time. Be warned, Jesus will not be one of your idols; you cannot use Him for your own benefit. The enemy will deceive you into thinking you can, but there are plenty of examples in the Word to show that God’s wrath is every bit as big as His love. Folks just don’t want to talk about that side of Him; it messes up their fabricated, worldly love message, which is deceptive and empty.
Do you feel empty today, even though there are tons of packages under your tree? Do you feel something is truly missing but you don’t know what it is? Are you tired of keeping up the appearance of love, joy, peace and happiness, when none of them have root in your life? Let me tell you, there IS a peace that passes all understanding. There IS a joy unspeakable and full of glory. There IS a happiness that overshadows all pain and will stick with you even in the most desperate of times. There IS a love that will NEVER die.
I hope you find it at this beautiful season of 2010. It is there. Don’t pull yourself up by the bootstraps and try to live another year keeping up with the “Joneses.” You may accumulate houses, cars, money and things, but the ONLY joy is in finding “the mystery of the gospel…and that is…Christ formed in you.”
Much love and blessing as you walk your journey and I hope to walk with you along your way. ~Rita
P.S. I want to recommend the two greatest books of all time to you…My Utmost for His Highest and Pilgrim’s Progress. If you are serious about finding out the true mysteries of the Universe, there is no better place to start. I have a small blurb about them on my website. Just go to the Arts link and scroll down.
