Jerry's Christmas

  “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you; You will find a baby wrapped in clothes and lying in a manger.” Luke 2:11-12 (NIV)

    I’ll never forget that precious little boy: freckles scattered like tiny raindrops across his entire face, including his ears. Big brown eyes partially obscured by wispy blonde hair that brushed against an ever-present smile minus two front teeth.

   Jerry was a first-grade student at the elementary school where I worked. He came from a home that was short on money but long on love. His clothes were always someone else’s property first, but he never seemed to care.  And this Christmas season was no different.

   As a mother of three, I was frantically trying to balance home, husband, kids, and job while I shopped endlessly for the perfect “only thing I want” gifts for my family. Somewhere in the rush of the season, my focus shifted from the birth of a baby in a manger to the number of presents under our Christmas tree.

   There was some success but at a price . . . a high price. My Christmas budget was shrinking rapidly. “Why couldn’t my children want something a little cheaper?” I kept thinking. “Why do they think they have to have everything they see on television?”

   Those questions were occupying my thoughts as I walked down the first-grade hall and saw Jerry coming toward me in worn tennis shoes minus the laces and a winter coat that was about three sizes too large.  

   “Hey, Jerry! How are you?” “I’m good, Miss Nancy. It’s almost Christmas . . . Jesus’ birthday . . . did you know?” I couldn’t help but smile at that comment. “Yes, I have heard that. So what do you want for Christmas, Jerry?”

   He quickly replied “Oh, I already know what I’m getting. It’s the same every year.” At this point, I would have expected a child making that statement to duck his head in disappointment and go on, but not Jerry.

   As I bent down to hug and encourage him, Jerry put his hands on my shoulders and, with a huge smile, continued. “When I wake up on Christmas morning, there will be a BIG candy cane under my pillow!” he exclaimed as he licked his lips and rubbed his tummy in anticipation of that moment. “And then, under the tree, I will get a little Matchbox car to add to my others. I can hardly wait, Miss Nancy!”

   As I hugged Jerry and sent him on to class, I could not hold back the tears of sadness – not for Jerry but for my attitude. Instead of focusing on Christ and His birth, I had gotten caught up in the world’s view that the number of gifts you have under the Christmas tree determines your happiness.

   Christmas at our home would never be the same again. All because of a candy cane under a pillow, a Matchbox car under a tree . . . and a very thankful little boy named Jerry.

   Father, thank you for the most priceless gift of love you could ever send – the gift of your Son - from a manger to the cross for us.  In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

R.A.P. it up . . .

Reflect

• Do you find yourself focused more on gifts than the Giver of Life at Christmas?

• Have you talked with your children about the Ultimate Gift that Jesus gave each of us?

Apply

• Help your children write on slips of paper the gifts that they can give Jesus this Christmas, like trusting Him, being obedient, and sharing Him with friends.

• Have them wrap each of their gifts for Jesus in a box and offer each one to Him on Christmas morning in prayer.

Power 

• Luke 2:11-12 (NIV) “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you; You will find a baby wrapped in clothes and lying in a manger.” 

• 2 Corinthians 9:15 (NIV) “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!”

• John 1:14 a (NIV) “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.”

I Don't Live There Anymore

 “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up;do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.”

 Isaiah 43:18-19 (NIV)

   Moving from my old home to a new one created a lot more problems than I had anticipated. Trying to downsize was a huge issue since I was moving from a 5 bedroom to a 3 bedroom home. And of course, all the paperwork created a near migraine by the time it was finished.

   One dilemma that was totally unexpected was changing my address. I thought I was ahead of the game when I bought four packages of “I’ve Moved!” cards to send  until I realized that the cards got packed in the move and were not found until a year later. Thankfully the post office forwarded my mail from my other home for a few months which helped as I notified insurance agents, medical facilities and credit card companies of the address change.

   But for six months after the move, I kept receiving mail at my new home that belonged to the previous home owners. I would write “doesn’t live here anymore” and put it back in the mailbox but I continued to receive letters from the same companies over and over. It was almost as though the senders didn’t believe my message written on each envelope.

   It occurred to me that sometimes as Christians we are viewed in that same way. When we give our lives to the Lord, we are told to “forget the former things” as the Scripture from Isaiah says. But, as sad as it is, too often there are Christian brothers and sisters who do not.

   They may not speak openly about what you did or didn’t do before you gave your heart to the Lord but their actions and glances are every bit as loud as a spoken word. And while God Himself assures us that He forgives and forgets, (Jeremiah 31:34), some do not.

   If that is where you find yourself today, please remember what your new “home” is filled with: room after room of forgiveness and grace and mercy. Pray for those who feel the need to judge you by your past; pray that they will truly experience becoming a new creation, as you are in your new “home.”

   Maybe my old “home” was larger with more storage . . . but it does not compare to my new “home” in Christ.  Just as the message I wrote on those envelopes, you too can live with confidence in knowing that God does not judge us by how we lived in the past. Nancy doesn’t live there anymore.

   Father, thank you for your forgiveness and mercy and for creating a new me when I turn my life over to you. I praise you for my new life with you. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

R.A.P. it up . . .

Reflect

• Have you ever had someone make a comment or look at you in a way that let you know they remembered your past before you came to the Lord?

• What was your first reaction when that happened?

Apply

• Make note cards with today’s Power Scripture on them.

• Place them around your home, in your Bible, in your car and in a cabinet to remind you about your “address change” when you turned your life and “home” over to the Lord.

Power

• Isaiah 43:18-19 (NIV) “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.”

• Isaiah 43:16 (NIV) “…For the past troubles will be forgotten and hidden from my eyes.”

• II Corinthians 5:17 (NIV) “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”

The Patient Lion

  "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around  like  a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” 

I Peter 5:8 NIV

   

   The animal shows on television have always held my attention. I’ve found that I learn several new facts about almost every animal. One that particularly caught my attention is the lion. Is he majestic? Yes. Would I pass out if we met face to face? Absolutely! But the “King of  Beasts” has an unusual way of  hunting his prey that surprised me.  

    Because lions are huge and strong and not intimidated, I thought that, as they came upon a possible “meal,” they would roar, rush in, attack their victim and enjoy a snack. But they don’t. Instead, they patiently take their time. They will lay down and act as though they couldn’t care less about their prey but it’s all part of a well thought out plan. So they wait - sometimes for hours at a time. And the reason for this hunting tactic?

   Lions, as big as they are, have limited stamina and must spend a good part of their day conserving their energy for their attack on their target. Oh, they may roar fiercely but it is only a trick. The roaring stops. And it lulls their victim into a false sense of security: “The lion doesn’t want to eat me. He has stopped roaring. He is only resting. I am safe.” And with that false thinking, they do not keep watch as the lion casually moves closer and closer to them until they experience his surprise fatal attack - and instant  death.

    I cannot help but compare a lion’s attack with the attack Satan uses on us. He is content to slowly, carefully move closer to us as he whispers that what we are doing is okay. For example, it may start out slowly, with a personal compliment from a co-worker.(“He/she was just being nice.”) and the warning from the Spirit is ignored until it becomes a dinner to discuss work and ultimately moves to a relationship outside of marriage. Or it could be a justification for viewing porn (“It’s not wrong because you aren’t actually cheating with a physical person.”) and a marriage falls apart. Or gossip (“I’m sharing this so you can pray for them.”) and a life is shattered.

    Never forget that Satan hunts down the children of God: the prayer warriors.Those willing to stand in the gap for Truth. He is not concerned about those who already belong to him but he is frightened of  those who spend time in prayer and speak the name of Jesus wherever they are. He knows that warriors will never bend a knee to him but will fight with everything they have. So he works hard to spiritually  kill them and their witness subtly and slowly.  

    His arsenal of weapons?  Shame because of something in your past; layers and layers of “if only” and “what if” that land on your heart and shove you into a state of “I will never be good enough” or strong enough. But never forget that even though those attacks cause pain - physically, emotionally or Spiritually - they will NOT destroy the children of God!

     So what is the answer? Get into God’s Word today! Go to your War Room! If you don’t have one, make one! It may be an actual closet that you move things around in so you can pray in calm and quiet or it may be in a chair in your bedroom. Ask Jesus to remind you of the armor He has for you to wear daily! Put it on. Never take it off. Trust the Lord to battle for you and with you as you learn how to recognize and defeat  the subtle lies of the enemy. 

    

    Father, please show me daily where I am being subtly attacked and give me strength and courage to battle with Truth from your Word. In Jesus’ Name. Amen. 

R.A.P. it up . . . 

Reflect

• Think of a time that you did the exact opposite of God’s will for your life.

• How did you get to that point? 

Apply

• Journal the power verses every morning until you have them memorized.

• Make a war room in your home. Sit quietly in it and ask the Lord to show you clearly where Satan is attacking so you can be on guard.

Power

• I Peter 5:8 (NIV)  "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around 

like  a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” 

• Ephesians 6:13 (NIV) "Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.”

•  James 4:7-8 (NIV) “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you”

Eyes To See the Army

 “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are  with us are more than those who are with them.”  II Kings 6:16 (NIV)

    My five-year-old grandson was excited about starting pre-school but nervous about not doing well on his entrance exam. His mother had prepared him with encouragement.  “Just do your best and you will be fine,” she told him.

   Jude sat down on the tiny chair in the classroom and waited quietly for the pre-school teacher to start the screening. The first question appeared to be an easy one: “Jude, what would you do if you walked into a dark room?” she asked. He never hesitated for one second as he replied “Panic!”

   We see a similar response from the servant of Elisha the prophet in II Kings 6:15. The Aram king was at war with Israel but he was unable to inflict damage because every time he made a decision, Elisha would let the king of Israel know the plans of his enemy. This enraged Aram’s king to the point that he decided to send a huge army in the darkness of night to surround the city where Elisha and his servant were staying so he could capture them.

   Elisha’s servant woke up to chariots, horses and men surrounding the city. The servant knew the odds were not good at all and he was on the verge of all out panic. In fear he asked Elisha “Oh, my lord, what shall we do?”

   But Elisha calmed his servant by telling him that “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” (II Kings 6:16) He then asked the Lord to open the eyes of his servant so he could see the host of angels with chariots and horses, waiting to obey God’s command.

   Can you imagine the expression on his servant’s face as he looked around and saw the huge holy army ready to do battle? The panic in the servant’s heart would instantly be replaced by calm. Are you wondering how this applies to you?

   What “dark room” are you entering today? In what “city” are you surrounded by an army positioned to attack? Are you afraid because of a situation at work that threatens to overtake you or a relationship at home that appears hopeless? Are you frightened as you look at the world and what the future may hold for you and your family?

   Please do not panic! Just because you cannot see answers with your physical eyes, do not count out the warrior Jesus Christ. He is beside us, protecting, directing, defending and doing battle on our behalf. 

    Just as He sent reinforcements to Elisha, Jesus stands ready to do battle for us, His children. Trust Him to one day allow you to have eyes to see the army.

   Father, thank you for protecting my family and me and for doing battle for us against the enemy. Help me to not panic and be fearful but to trust in you. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

R.A.P. it up . . .

Reflect

• Have you ever faced a situation that did not appear to have a good outcome?

• Was your first response to panic or pray? Why?

Apply

• Carry today’s power verses on note cards in your purse or pocket.

• When fear and panic threaten to attack, pull out your cards and thank the Lord for the promise and encouragement in each verse.

Power

• II Kings 6:16 (NIV) “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”

• Psalm 56:3 (NIV) “When I am afraid, I will trust in you…”

• Hebrews 13:6 (NIV): “So we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”

 

Are You Prepared For the Attack?

 The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear?  The Lord is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid?” Psalm 17:1 (NIV)

     For two weeks the Lord had been preparing me for the missile attack. Scriptures leaped out at me every time I sat in prayer.  At first, I thought they were needed for someone who was being attacked; however it didn’t occur to me that I was the target. Why? Because my life was going smoothly. I had absolutely no idea what was coming.

  One day my Bible fell open to Isaiah 41:10 “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” I thought of a friend who was going through a struggle with a loss and sent the Scripture with a note of encouragement to her.

    On another day I read “Psalm 17:1 “The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid?” and emailed it to a teacher who was struggling daily with a group of students who had no desire to learn but every desire to disrupt her class and intimidate their peers. 

   A few days later, my devotion was from II Chronicles 20:15 “. . . This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.’” Suddenly it occurred to me that my Father was preparing ME for something in which I was going to have to totally and completely rely on Him and trust Him to handle.

   I was right.  The day after  my devotion reminding me that the battle ahead was not mine, but God’s, the missile of slander came out of nowhere and, with deadly precision, hit its mark in the middle of the intended target: me. The comments made were designed to hurt and to cast doubt as to my character but were made anonymously which eliminated any way of correcting what was said or confronting the offender.

   I knelt beside my bed, wounded and hurting at the obvious intent to cast doubt on my witness. “Why, Lord?” I cried. “I’ve tried all these years to do what You would have me do. I haven’t always succeeded but I have tried. Why is this happening?” In the quietness of the morning, the Lord spoke clearly to my heart: “When did I ever tell you that it would be easy . . . following me? Remember what I told you? Your strength is in Me. Do not be afraid. I will do battle for you, just as I have . . . all these years.”

    Have you been attacked today? Perhaps the comments of someone you do not know have reached your ears. Or maybe you have felt the sting from a dear friend who spoke your name in an unkind way. Whatever it may be, rest assured that we have a Father who understands and who encourages us to hold on to Him as He does battle in our place and protects us from  missile attacks. 

   Father, thank you. for being strong for us when we are weak and preparing us for what is to come as you battle in our place. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

 R.A.P. it up . . .

Reflect

• What is your immediate reaction when someone says something completely false about you?

• Do you mentally make a “get even” list and store it for future reference?

 Apply

• Memorize one of the Power Verses and repeat it back to yourself when you have been shot at and/or hit with a missile.  

• Share what has happened with a trusted prayer warrior and ask for wise counsel and prayer to determine if any steps need to be taken.

 Power

• Psalm 17:1 (NIV) “The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid?”

•  Isaiah 41:10 (NIV) “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

•  II Chronicles 20:15 (NIV) “This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.’”