“Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them,” 2 Kings 6:16. (Read 2 Kings 6:8-17)
If God opened our eyes, what would we see? Armies of heavenly hosts championed to defend me.
Armed and geared in heaven’s glow and might, commanded to protect through the perils of the fight.
Unseen, yet seen, through the eyes of faith. Chariots of fire to protect the way.
Real guards, by heaven’s charge, stand at the ready. Heirs of salvation to keep, and help hold them steady.
In this fight, we are never alone. We see that God protects us from His heavenly throne.
“And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.” (2 Kings 6:17)
This morning, I saw
high in the tree,
a confident, little bird
looking down at me.
I thought, if that were me,
on the branches that swayed,
I would not be so confident.
I would be very afraid.
The bird looked at me,
as if to say,
he had no reason to fear,
for God made him this way.
To fly high, and conquer
heights unknown.
To soar was his gift,
upon the winds that blow.
What’s true for the bird,
is true for me too.
For I have gifts and talents,
special things I can do.
If the little bird was confident
in God’s designed plan,
I, too, can be sure
in God’s design for who I am.
“I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.” Psalm 139:14
“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10
“Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.” 1 Corinthians 12:4-6
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“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:11
Not displayed in decorated windows. Nor purchased from the store shelf. Nay, the only purchasing to be done is His purchasing you for Himself.
For you, the Savior has come. For you, the prophecy fulfilled. For you, heaven’s glory lay in a manger. For you, born by God’s perfect will.
The greatest Christmas gift in history to be received is the truest reason for Christmas, found in Christ the newborn King.
Were it not for us, He would not have come. Were it not for us, no storied nativity. The begotten Son, God in the flesh, was born to save us from sin’s captivity.
December 25th is waited for with hope throughout the year of giving and receiving gifts. But on that holy night, at the announcement of the Lord’s birth by the angel, the shepherds working the sheep in the field knew the real gift of Christmas had been waited upon for much longer.
“For unto you.” Let the beauty of those words speak to your heart. The gift of Jesus was given for you, for us, for me.
God’s gift, wrapped in swaddling clothes at His birth (Luke 2:12), and linen at His burial (John 19:40), was personally wrapped and given for failing humanity.
May we ponder, as Mary did that night, the real gift of Christmas a little more closely this year. I pray that you will feel the Father’s love as He presents this Gift to you for unwrapping. I pray you would know the heart of the Father more fully as you receive His “indescribable gift” (2 Corinthians 9:15) for yourself.
Christ was given, by the hand of God, for all who were, and for all who were to come: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved” (John 3:17).
For this Christmas, and all to come, no Christmas gift could be or should be cherished more, than this gift of God’s great love (John 3:16).
At the trial of His crucifixion, Jesus spoke these words:
“To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.” John 18:37
The gift was born for you.
Thank You, Father God, for the personal gift of Jesus Christ into my life. Neither words nor time would be enough to express my deepest gratitude for the Savior. Your Gift has intervened in my life and saved me, helped me, protected me, and blessed me far more than I deserve. My thank You seems inadequate for this season, but humbly thank You, I do, and I praise You for the real Gift of Christmas in my life.
More Reference Scriptures:
“Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” Titus 2:14
“Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.” Matthew 1:23
“And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.” 1 Timothy 3:16
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“Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.” Matthew 24:44
My friend, the winds are shifting and the changing of the seasons in our life comes quickly. Let us be ready, in whatever season the Lord finds us, to go back to heaven with Him when He comes.
“So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” Hebrews 9:28
“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
“When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.” Colossians 3:4
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Years and
times of past
I’ve spent
living frivolously,
when the altar call
of my life was made
through Calvary,
I was made free.
Free to begin again,
free to start anew
– my life before
was just a preview,
of the greatness He
wanted to do inside,
to bid the old man
adieu, goodbye.
Saying goodbye isn’t always a bad thing. It is a time when we are able to clean out certain things in our lives that were hindrances and unprofitable. Even in our own character, there can be things we would like to rid ourselves of and start anew. When that newness starts with Christ, you can never go wrong. When the new I am seeking is found in Him, I may not be guaranteed a life of ease and success, but I am guaranteed a new life with a glorious future to behold.
Letting go. Saying goodbye is sometimes the best thing we can do for ourselves. Especially if it is keeping us from something far greater.
I can’t guarantee you a lot in life, but I can guarantee that anything you let go of will pale in comparison to what you find in our Savior.
Goodbye, old man. It’s time for the new.
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17
“That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;” Ephesians 4:22-23
“And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:” Colossians 3:10
“Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” 1 John 4:4
“But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.” Psalm 3:3
How much wrestling have you dealt with in life? How many in just this week alone? In the heaviness, in the heart, our God stands as the One who lifts our head:
“When confidence in others is fleeting,
And friends cannot be found.
It is God who restores,
And lifts my countenance from the ground.
Running, exhausted, weary, and worn.
With His salve of love,
He heals this heart
That was torn.
He takes the troubles,
As if they didn’t exist,
Encourages us in Him,
And our hearts, He lifts.
No more to feel like
I’m fighting alone.
God has lifted my head
And, called me His own.”
Friend, when troubles find their way into your life, remember Your heavenly Father is He who fights with you and for you. David found himself in opposition often. Some were of his own doing, and some were from others who pursued him with unrighteousness. But in his heart, he never failed to keep believing in God, to keep his confidence and praise in the One who not only saw his sin and his circumstances – but God was also He who held his life in His hands.
A praise was never far from his lips. Even when he was down, he knew in whom he believed. He knew that in everything, God is the one who can restore and exalt. God is the one who can return a smile to his face and gladness to his heart. God is He who can bring a victory in the midst of a mess therefore, David kept his hope in the one and only true living God who can carry him and lift him during the hard times of life.
Friend, I pray that you will find your solace in God today. May a praise be on your lips for the God who can save.
“I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works.” Psalm 9:1
“And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord.” Psalm 27:6
Your biggest source of encouragement is found in God alone!
“In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live.” 2 Kings 20:1
There is something special in knowing. Knowing brings awareness to a time or moment you did not see coming. Knowing helps us to prepare for what lies ahead.
When the curtains draw to a close on our lives here and our days have come to an end, most of us do not get the advanced warning King Hezekiah received from God through the prophet Isaiah. Most will not know that now is their time until it happens.
Knowing that we do not possess this absolute knowledge of specifics of time and circumstance, the Bible repeatedly tells us how to prepare for our future regardless of what does or does not happen, what we do or do not know.
Jesus, Himself, taught, “Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh” (Matthew 24:44), and “Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh” (Matthew 25:13).
We may have many questions and not know all that we desire to know, but this truth must always be grasped, be ready.
We prepare for so many unknowns in life; this we do know, there is an eternity, and where we spend it there is based on how we prepared for it here.
Below is a new poem I have written titled Get Your House in Order to go along with this post. I pray it is encouraging to you and shareable to all you know and love.
