The Sign

 

 

“This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths

 and lying in a manger.”

Luke 2:12 (NIV)

 

My niece and her family went to an amusement park a few years ago for one last getaway before school started. Her youngest, Ty, went to the restroom as the rest of the family waited . . . and waited . . . and waited. Finally she sent her older son in to find out what was going on. He found younger brother standing by the sinks.

 

            “What are you doing, Ty?” he asked. “I’m waiting,” Ty answered. “For what?” his older brother asked. Ty pointed to the sign above the sinks. It read “Employees must wash hands before leaving.” “I’m waiting for someone to come wash my hands so I can leave.” he replied.

 

The most important sign of all is found in Luke 2:12 as we read about the birth of Jesus. Shepherds were keeping an eye on their flocks of sheep one evening, probably thinking of sleep as they watched for wolves. Suddenly the sky was filled with angels, praising God and sharing that the Savior had been born.

 

I am willing to bet that not one shepherd said “I’m not sure what just happened. But it was cool. Now, back to work.” Had they done that, they would have missed completely the birth of their Savior and the opportunity to worship Him.

 

Instead, they hurried to find Mary and Joseph and the baby (verse 16) so they could not only worship Him but share what had occurred with everyone they came in contact with. (verse 17) What about you and me? “This will be a sign to you . . .” What are we going to do with this Scripture in our lives?

 

It is so easy to get distracted by “signs” in this world. “Turn here” or “No speeding” or “Cell Phones Off” or “Keep to the right.” In other words, the everyday routines that we all have in our lives. Are they important for what we are doing every day? Sure. But not important for eternity.

 

            The most important sign of all was given to us by God the Father, wrapped in a covering of cloths and love. His name? Jesus. Emmanuel. Lord of All. Savior. Redeemer. Bright and Morning Star. Holy One. Healer.

 

Don’t allow yourself to get so distracted with everyday life that you miss the most important Sign of all.

 

 

Father, thank you for sending us your Son as a beautiful sign of your love and mercy and forgiveness. I praise you for showing us you. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

 

 

R.A.P. it up . . .

 

Reflect

• Have you ever completely misread a sign in a building or on the highway?

 

• Were you distracted by other things to cause you to misread it?

 

 

 

Apply

• Journal signs that you see around you every day.

 

• Write down Scriptures of hope on sticky notes and place those “signs” around your home to remind you of the most import Sign of all.

 

Power

•  2:12 (NIV) “This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

 

• Isaiah 7:11 (NIV) “Ask the Lord your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights.”

 

• John 12:37 (NIV) “Even after Jesus had done all these miraculous signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him.”

 

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 long, 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 every thing they see on television?”

 

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

 

“Hey, Jerry! How are you?” I asked. “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 knelt 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!” as he licked his lips and rubbed his tummy in anticipation of that moment. “And then, under the tree, I’ll get a little Matchbox car to add to my others. I can hardly wait, Miss Nancy!”

 

As I hugged Jerry and watched him skip 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.  May we never forget that He went 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

• Sit down with your children and help them 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.” 

 

• Romans 6:23 (NIV) “For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

 

• 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.”

 

• Isaiah 9:6-7 (NIV) “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

 

 

For Future Generations

 

“O my people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth….We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord; his power and the wonders he has done…so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children.”

Psalm 78:1, 4, 6 (NIV)

 

John Atkinson, my granddad, passed away September 7, 1979. I remember exactly where I was standing when I got the phone call and the instant sadness that filled my heart. He was a man of integrity and honor, laughter and love and a huge part of my life.

I remember hugging him and loving the scent of moth balls and Old Spice as he wrapped his arms around me and my siblings and asked “Well, fellers, how are you doing?” His home was never without a candy bowl in the living room full of white mints with a soft green jelly in the center.

 

Grandmother would only let us have one mint but Granddad always sneaked more to us when she wasn’t looking. He became my hero and I became his biggest fan for life when he defended my refusal to try oyster soup. I gagged at the thought of eating it and he gagged at me gagging.

 

But one of the things I remember most was his love of the Bible. One particular conversation has stayed with me all these years. We were talking about reading the Scriptures and I mentioned that it was hard for me to get interested in them. “Too many thee’s and thou’s,” I told him. “Is reading the Bible really that important?”

 

He reached over and picked up his well-worn leather Bible on the table by his chair. “I’ve read it completely through three times so far,” he quietly commented “and I find something new and fresh every time. Our hope for tomorrow is in this book, Nancy. Never forget that.”

 

“Never forget that.” I didn’t . . . all because my granddad took the time to share story after story from the Word and then explain how it related to me. Jonah and the whale taught me about obedience. David and Goliath gave me courage. An empty tomb gave a little girl a big hope in her Savior.

 

What happens when we do not share God’s Word with our children and grandchildren? We are told in Judges 2:19 that after Joshua and his generation had died, another generation grew up who did not know the Lord or what He had done for Israel.

 

 Could it be that Joshua’s generation, though they loved the Lord, neglected to share their faith with their children so that it could be shared with children and grandchildren in future generations? The result of their not being taught about the Lord and how He had blessed the nation of Israel resulted in their turning to idol worship and ultimately to discipline from God.

My granddad’s example impressed upon me the importance of continually turning to the Word of God and teaching my children – and now grandchildren – about His love and compassion, mercy and forgiveness so they will never forget.

 

My question is this: What will you leave for future generations?

 

 Father, nothing is more important than sharing you with my children and grandchildren. Please help me to recognize teachable moments so that I can tell them about your glory and the wonderful things you have done for them. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

 

R.A.P. it up . . .

Reflect

• What do most of your conversations with your children or grandchildren center around?

 

• How often do you talk to your children or grandchildren about Jesus?

 

Apply

• Have mini-sessions with your children and grandchildren to share stories from the Bible about God’s power and love for them.

 

• Emphasize the importance of God’s Word by having a “proud board” in your home to hang pictures your children and grandchildren have drawn from Bible stories.

 

Power

• Psalm 78:1, 4, 6 (NIV) “O my people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth….We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord; his power and the wonders he has done…so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children.”

 

• Psalm 102:18 (NIV) “Let this be written for a future generation, that a people not yet created may praise the Lord.”

 

• Romans 15:4 (NIV) “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”

 

Heavenly Radar

“If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.” Psalm 139:8 (NIV)

Flying is not one of my favorite things. In fact, it’s probably the first item on my list of things I do NOT like – at all. It comes before spiders, snakes and tornadoes. I’m not afraid of flying. I just do not like it. Any part of it. 

 

               With that in mind, just imagine how I felt when a flight I was on from Washington DC to Kansas City was detoured to Chicago O’Hare International Airport because of a fierce storm. And further imagine how I felt as my flight was delayed – not once – but repeatedly for hours.

 

               My heart was pounding about 200 beats per minute as I looked around me at what appeared to be a huge problem with no solution. I had no idea what to do! I was in a large city I had never been in before. And I was at an airport full of thousands of people who were trying to reschedule flights in order to get home like me, but unlike me, they all seemed to know exactly what they were doing. I did not.

               As I stood in line after line, trying to get a new flight, a thought occurred to me: my husband had no idea that my flight was delayed or that I was in Chicago or that I would be hours late. He would be worried sick as he wondered where I was! I had no cell phone and no way to contact him.

               Would you believe that my husband wasn’t worried at all? He wasn’t. When my plane finally landed at 2:00 a.m. Kansas City, he was waiting at my terminal, smiling at my look of surprise. “How did you know I would be coming on this flight?” I asked him. “I had no way to call you to let you know.”

               “Easy,” he replied. “When I got to the airport and saw that your flight was delayed, I just asked the attendant at the ticket counter how I could find out what had happened. He showed me on his computer where you were, what flight you eventually got, and what seat you were assigned. He even showed me the radar during your whole flight. I wasn’t worried; I always knew exactly where you were.”

               The calm found in Psalm 139:8 whispers to my heart every time I fly but it also shouts to my soul that, no matter where I am, I have the Lord with me. Never once in all of my life has God said “Whoa! Where did she go? I can’t find her.” But instead He has been at my side, guiding every decision I make, giving me strength and courage to keep going no matter what I am facing.

 

               How about you? Have you ever wondered if you are lost in this crazy world to the point that God cannot find you or that He has more important things to do than whatever you are facing? 

Let me reassure you that, no matter where you live or work or lay your head at night, He is there. The Lord is in the middle of your heartache over the loss of a loved one or your grief at a life-threatening disease.  He can be found right beside you as you struggle with a situation at work or at home and yes, - even when we fly “up to the heavens.”

 

 

               Father, thank you for never leaving me, no matter where I am or where I go. I praise you for always having your eye on my life. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

R.A.P. it up . . . 

Reflect

* Has there ever been a time in your life when you felt like God did not know or care       what you were going through?

* Why do you think you believed that idea?

Apply

* Journal all the physical and emotional places that you have been for one week. 

*Beside each entry, write Scripture that reassures you that God is with you in each of those places. Praise Him for never leaving your side.

 

Power 

* Psalm 139:8 (NIV) “If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.” 

* Deuteronomy 4:39 (NIV) “Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other.”

* 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.”