Another Christmas
“The people who walk in darkness will see a great light; those wh live in a dark land, the light will shine on them. You shall multiply the nation, you shall increase their gladness; they will be glad in Your presence as with the gladness of harvest, as men rejoice when the divide the spoil.
“For you shall break the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, as at the battle of Midian. For every boot of the booted warrior in the battle tumult, and cloak rolled in blood, will be for burning, fuel for the fire.
“For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders’ and His name will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Pease.
“There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.” Isaiah 9:2-7
Another Christmas!
It’s easy to get distracted by the festivities, the ‘self-imposed obligations’, the preparations, lights, food, expense, noise and chaos.
But Christmas also offers space to remember why we give gifts – that God started it! Man imagined they could work things out for themselves (Genesis 3:1-7). They stopped trusting God. And right there, His first promise was made for you and me (Genesis 3:15).
Yet man continues to work it out for himself… and fails miserably. The truth remains: God’s justice demands a life lived with no sin - not even one sin in thought, word or deed. The sentence for sin is death and eternal separation from all hope -- forever. (Romans 3:21-26; 6:23).
But how can anyone ever do enough good stuff to balance out their sins? No acts of kindness, no giving to the needy, no sacrificing for others! Nothing but justice can settle the debt.
And that IS the reason for the season!
Jesus knows we are unable to pay for our sin choices. So, He stepped in and paid the price for us - by dying for us.
But that was still not enough…until He rose again to conquer death (Isaiah 25:8)! From that moment, He was able to offer each one of us His payment of saving grace and the gift of a new life!
For me, you are a treasure in my walk with the Lord. I thank you for your care and love. May this next year promise more opportunities to share the truth of His Truth with others. May that be the gift you offer!
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Take care with love, especially His, from Darlene, who still prays for you each day.
PS: You can also find the devotions on line/ on your mobile phone here: www.weakdaydevotion.com .
NOTES: I choose to believe the Bible because it's a reliable collection of historical documents written down by eyewitnesses during the lifetime of other eyewitnesses. They reported supernatural events that took place before, of specific prophecies; and claim that their writings are divine rather than human in origin.
The Five Solas: Individuals are saved by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone, as revealed by Scripture alone to the glory of God alone!
Find my full statement of faith: https://especiallyhislove.blogspot.com (where you will also find a series of Bible studies). For the books, go to Amazon books. For prayer requests/ updates, email: darlenerichard@gmail.com