Three years ago, almost to the day during Christmas week, a car took an illegal left turn out of a small shopping center, cut across several lanes of traffic with no visibility, and hit a car that set off a multi-car accident. I had been sitting at a light and was one of the cars hit, causing much damage and injury. Two days ago, I was once again sitting in my lane at a light, not moving, and another driver inexplicably hit me. This driver left the scene of the accident, even though he saw me desperately trying to get him to motion him over.

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When a tradition I have held dear for decades just sort of fades away, it always makes me sad. I even still wish we could gather at my grandmother’s house to celebrate with all of my aunts and uncles, all of whom are in Heaven now. Few of their children live in that rural North Georgia community and are rightly spending Christmas with their own grands now. Still, I miss them.

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I am praying God’s peace for you today. Whatever concerns you- your children, our nation, finances, health, anything- God’s peace abundantly and completely covers that need. His peace does not just barely cover it, but covers it luxuriously, deeply, and thoroughly. His peace is not stretched thin but is layer upon layer of mercy, grace, and tenderness for you, heaped up and overflowing. Put that concern under His dominion and let Him be your refuge from it. He is well able to take care of it now, tomorrow, and for the rest of your future.

Are you feeling as if you can’t quite get there right now to have God’s peace? I love this verse for you:

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7

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I have avoided the topic of rewards as much as possible in my blogs because we love Him for Who He is and not for promised future rewards. Our heartfelt love overflows when we think of His compassion, tenderness, and His willing submission to lay down His life for us on the cruel cross. We need nothing beyond that to desire to serve the Son of Man whom we love with all our hearts.

But lately, the Holy Spirit has put in front of me Scripture after Scripture encouraging Christians that their future includes rewards for using their lives to serve Him.

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Immanuel, God with us

Our God is unique in that He is not distant as on Mount Olympus or on a throne we cannot access. He is with us—all the time, everywhere we go, whether we acknowledge Him or not. He is constant even if we are not.

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When I approach the Bible, I am profoundly aware that this is truly the Word of God. I am overpowered with the sense that God Himself is in the living, breathing words in front of me. He lives there. He breathed life into those words. He inspired the prophets, disciples, and others who penned them to transcribe His thoughts, His love, His commands, and His plans for us. He called His Son “the Word” in John 1:14:

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son[d] from the Father, full of grace and truth. 

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I have mentioned before that one of my favorite devotionals of all time is Oswald Chambers’ “What My Obedience to God Costs Other People.” I find comfort in hearing another struggling servant acknowledging that it is often far harder to watch our families, friends, and others suffer than it is to suffer ourselves. They may suffer the loss of our time, the loss of respect from others who think Christians are strange, or a number of other losses.

We don’t want to hurt people by speaking the truth in love.

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A young Christian I admire very much sent me the attached article summarizing how a local pastor has been gradually distancing himself from parts of the Bible. This young woman is in the trenches every day engaging her peers in discussion on Who Jesus is, why she believes, and how much God loves them and wants to embrace them. It can be a lonely and unpopular stance for her generation.

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God is so unlike us that we cannot even comprehend His goodness. He just does not think about things as we do. The way He looks at people, situations, and even tragedy comes from such a different place that we sometimes can’t see it at first. Take division. When God divides, it is always, always for our good. When man divides, it is almost always hurtful and comes from a self-interested place.

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I want to first tell you today, why I believe in prayer for healing. I will give you 4 reasons and I’m going to save the best for last.

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I learned a lesson on living out my faith today from Javier Castellano. Castellano is the jockey who rode a small, inexperienced horse to finish first at the 149th Kentucky Derby. No one expected this jockey on this horse to finish first, but they did. Before Castellano even dismounted or got his breath, a reporter was in his face with a microphone asking for a statement. His first words were, “I thank the Lord, Jesus Christ…”

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Oh, that he would know how wide and deep and high the love of the Christ is for him,                                         At all times, in every circumstance, and in every condition of his heart; That the love of Jesus would root him, ground him, and establish him;                

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Jesus said that the peace He can give is not like any peace you have ever known:

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27

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Finished with your Advent devotionals? Here is a blog about how God sees you and the year He has planned for you in 2023!

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