God With Us

This week we celebrate the miracle of Christ’s birth. Our hope for eternity—God with us.

The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel (which means “God with us”).

Matthew 1:23, NIV

Christ came to deliver us from our sin and offer us eternal life with Him. No greater gift can we receive. No greater love can be shown.

In thinking about the greatest gift I’ve received, not counting eternal life with Christ, I’d have to say my family. From my parents and siblings to my husband, three children and their spouses, and my three grandchildren. I treasure these gifts and am grateful.

I’ve contemplated what my life would look like if I hadn’t followed Christ. My husband, if I married, would have been someone else, which would have affected everything in my life. I imagine it would have been a life of wandering, searching for truth, enduring loneliness, and living in hopelessness.

But with Christ—God with us—I’ve found peace, joy, hope, and love. He came for those very reasons. He supplies my needs and holds me in His arms.

What greater love than the gift of life—eternal life with Christ?

The first verse I committed to memory after receiving Christ into my life was Joshua 1:9. Why this verse? Because Satan tried to steal my peace, joy, hope, and love with his lies and fear. I needed to know that the Lord was with me always, and the eternal life I received from Him was mine to keep.

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.

God offers to deliver us from our sin and give us an eternal hope when we believe and follow Him. He will be with us every step of the way.

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.

Romans 10:9-10, NIV

What a wonderful gift from our Lord! Have you received eternal life in Christ? Make this your best Christmas and put your hope in Immanuel—God with us.

Merry Christmas!

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Photo by Phil Hearing - Unsplash

Walking As Jesus Walked

Do you have days when your attitude needs to change? I do. This past week. Then I read these verses about walking as Jesus walked.

But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.

1 John 2:5-6, NKJV

I don’t recall Jesus having a poor attitude.

To me, the above verses say that when we keep God’s word, we are showing our obedience to Him and that we truly know and love Him. Through our obedience, His love is then perfected or made complete in us. If we claim we are His, we ought to walk in the same way that Jesus walked by following His example and living as He did.

How did Jesus walk? What examples did He leave for us to follow?

Here are a few instances of Jesus offering love, acceptance, and forgiveness.

In John 8 we read of the woman caught in adultery. The Pharisees wanted to stone her. Jesus told the crowd that whoever had never sinned could throw the first stone. The Pharisees slipped away, and only Jesus and the woman remained. He didn’t condemn her—He forgave her.

We read the story of the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well in John 4. Jesus didn’t criticize her for having had five husbands and living with a man who she was not married to. He accepted her and forgave her.

And what better model is there about forgiveness than when Jesus forgave His accusers and killers?

Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.

Luke 23:34, NKJV

Besides offering love, acceptance, and forgiveness, Jesus modeled obedience when He surrendered Himself to God’s will. After the Last Supper, Jesus prayed this on the Mount of Olives:

Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me;
nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.

Luke 22:42, NKJV

His time of arrest, suffering, and death soon followed.

Jesus modeled servanthood in John 13 when he washed his disciples’ feet and when he carried out the ultimate sacrifice—His death on the cross.

Jesus also met the needs of others by sharing God’s truths, calming the storm, and feeding the hungry.

Am I called to do any less?

Will it be easy? No. But so worth it!

Lord, I desire to keep your word and walk as you walked—in love, acceptance, forgiveness, obedience, surrender, servanthood, and by meeting the needs of others. Guide my steps, Lord. I desire to always abide in You.

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Photo by Arek Adeoye - Unsplash

He Holds Our Hand

Our hands are often used to show kindness, love, and to offer help to others. Holding someone’s hand can signify a special moment of showing tenderness and concern. God does that with us—He holds our hand.

In my novel, Only A Glimpse, holding hands is a regular occurrence. My main female character, Keedryn, struggles with her new boss, Blake. He’s arrogant, heartless, and takes his frustrations out on her. She reminisces about her husband, Sam, who passed away a few years earlier. “He left me too soon. I need him to hold me and reassure me I’m strong enough to deal with my boss.” She also recalls how much she misses those special moments she and her husband shared. “I miss our strolls, how he held my hand in church, and the stability and wisdom he brought into our marriage.”

Special moments of handholding also take place between Keedryn and her friends as they join hands to pray in agreement for God’s will to be done in Blake and Keedryn’s relationship. “She took my hand. ‘Let’s pray and ask God what His plans are. Are you willing to do that?’ ‘Yes,’ I whispered.”

Blake, the main male character in my story, softens toward Keedryn and tries to win her heart. They travel by plane to an out-of-state conference and encounter turbulence. Keedryn does something unexpected. “I reached out for his hand and held tight, which was something normal for me when Sam and I traveled. But Blake? I tried to move my hand, but he put his other hand over the top of mine, grinned, and said, ‘We’ll be fine.’ I managed to yank my hand away on the second try. ‘Sorry.’ His eyes twinkled. ‘I didn’t mind.’”

Blake offers her his hand a few times when they’re walking together, but Keedryn refuses because she doesn’t want a relationship, especially with her boss. She lets her guard down on one occasion and accepts his hand, but soon after, something happens between them. She then struggles to forgive him for the heartache he’s caused. While in the car together, he requests grace. ‘“I understand God gives us second chances, I thought maybe you’d give me one too.’ He offered me his hand again. I hesitated for a moment, then accepted it . . .I turned my gaze onto the road in front of me. I should take my hand back. But did I want to?”

In another scene, Blake touches Keedryn’s hand in a moment of tenderness and compassion and to speak to her with sincerity. ‘“Hurting you was the furthest thing from my mind. Can you forgive me?’ I placed my free hand on top of his and sighed. ‘Yes.’”

Above I’ve shared how holding someone’s hand may offer reassurance, connect people in prayer, bring comfort and security, grow relationships, and express tenderness, compassion, and sincerity.

Although I’m sharing scenes from my book, I hope you’ll notice the correlation here with God’s love for us. He holds our hand too.

The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.

Psalm 37:23-24, NLT

If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me.

Psalm 139:9-10, NLT

And when we feel we need more than our hand held—

Praise the Lord; praise God our savior! For each day he carries us in his arms.

Psalm 68:19, NLT

Father, thank you for holding my hand. You offer me strength, security, comfort, and so much more. I’m grateful for Your guidance, along with Your tenderness and compassion toward me. May I always remember that You go before me and follow me, and you are always with me. In Jesus’s name, amen.

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Photo by Kimi Albertson - Unsplash

Offer Sacrifices

Before Christ’s death and resurrection, people presented burnt offerings to receive forgiveness of their sins. But these gifts weren’t the Lord’s only requirement. He also desired that their sacrifice be given with a thankful heart and a broken spirit—a change of attitude within. Are we required to offer sacrifices today?

Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God,
and keep the vows you made to the Most High.

Psalm 50:14, NLT

The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit.
You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.

Psalm 51:17, NLT

Once Christ sacrificed His life for us, we were no longer required to present burnt offerings. We are called, however, to model our lives after His—filled with love.

Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ.
He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us,
a pleasing aroma to God.

Ephesians 5:2, NLT

Romans 12:1 teaches that our bodies are to be a living and holy sacrifice. Our true worship includes holiness, purity, and Christlikeness.

And we are taught to offer a continual sacrifice of praise—to proclaim our faithfulness to His name.

Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name.
And don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need.
These are the sacrifices that please God.

Hebrews 13:15-16, NLT

But when is our offering of thanksgiving and praise a sacrifice? Do we ever have bad days or days we don’t feel well? Maybe we’re too tired or busy? Even during these times, we are to thank and praise the One who has given us so much and proclaim our commitment and devotion to Him.

Sacrifice is still required today as a part of our daily worship, in our praise and thanksgiving for all God has done, and in declaring our faithfulness to His name. Other ways we may sacrifice are of our time, talent, and giving. These include doing good and sharing with those in need as stated in the above verses from Hebrews—lovingly serving others is often a sacrifice.

In what other ways do we offer sacrifices to the Lord?

Father, may I be aware of how You desire for me to lovingly serve others in the sacrificing of my time, talent, and giving. Convict me, Holy Spirit, when I sin, so I can be quick to repent and follow You—to worship You in purity and walk in Christlikeness. Help me remember to thank You on my good days and on those not so good days when I’d rather mope and complain. I desire to give You praise and thanksgiving for all Your blessings, declare Your faithfulness through my daily life, and offer sacrifices You are pleased with. In Jesus’s name. Amen.

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Photo by Priscilla Du Preez - Unsplash