Shine, Jesus, Shine

 

A couple of years back I declared myself no longer in the Christmas lights club that uses those gaudy colors, but this year the lights on my tree are those bright colors!  White lights or colors – I like Christmas lights.  I throw a few on a couple of small bushes at the front of my house but I’ll never muster the energy to create one of those extravaganzas that I see along the streets in my town!

I love the symbolism of the lights. As the long darkness of winter settles over us, we protest by putting up the lights that make our homes bright. And, those lights remind me of the One who is the Light of Life. "Jesus said to the people, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t be stumbling through the darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” (John 8:12, NLT) By the way, today is the Winter solstice, the least amount of daylight, but now the light of day increases again until the earth warms and winter is gone!

Light makes life better!  When a morning dawns with brilliant sunshine, we are hopeful of a better day. A room can be made so much more inviting just by changing the way it’s lit. The harsh glare of fluorescent light may be great for a workshop, but not so much for our dining room. Jesus changes our lives by bringing Light, understanding and meaning, to us. Of the Incarnation, the Word says, "What came into existence was Life, and the Life was Light to live by. The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness; the darkness couldn’t put it out." (John 1:4-5, The Message) And… He commissions us to take up the challenge of shining His light into the world. "In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:16, NIV)

Light brings clarity. Now that I am a bit older, I need more light when I am reading that fine print on a label. I leave a night light on in the hallway so that I don’t trip over things in the dark. Jesus shines into our life helping us to see things as they are so that we are not deceived. "But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.” (John 3:21, NIV)

Disciple, are you living in the Light, presenting yourself to Him prayerfully, expectantly?,

When we open our mind the truth of His Word, when we faithfully worship Him, the Light streams into our lives and dispels the confusion that sin’s darkness causes.  I hope that the Christmas lights strung around your home, along the streets, and in the stores will cause you to rejoice.  Take a cue from the ancient preacher, Isaiah, who said -  “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you." (Isaiah 60:1-2, NIV)

The word from the Word is a prayer for the Light to come.

"Send forth your light and your truth, let them guide me;

let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell.

Then will I go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight.

I will praise you with the harp, O God, my God." (Psalm 43, NIV)

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Shine, Jesus, Shine
(an older worship song that is the prayer of my heart)

Lord the light of Your love is shining

In the midst of the darkness shining

Jesus Light of the world shine upon us

Set us free by the truth You now bring us

Shine on me shine on me

Shine Jesus shine

Fill this land

With the Father's glory

Blaze Spirit blaze

Set our hearts on fire

Flow river flow

Flood the nations

With grace and mercy

Send forth Your word Lord

And let there be light

Lord I come to Your awesome presence

From the shadows into Your radiance

By the blood I may enter Your brightness

Search me try me consume all my darkness

Shine on me shine on me

As we gaze on Your kingly brightness

So our faces display Your likeness

Ever changing from glory to glory

Mirrored here may our lives tell Your story

Shine on me shine on me

Graham Kendrick

© 1987 Make Way Music (Admin. by Music Services, Inc.)

CCLI License # 810055

Thank you for reading along for another year!
It is a delight of my heart to come your way each weekday morning with these thoughts.

I’m taking a break and will see you again in the New Year.

A Blessed Christmas and Happy New Year to you.

“Immanuel” - I am not alone.

We all have that moment when we become acutely aware that we are a solitary creature in this world. It is a kind of ‘aloneness’ that has nothing to do with loneliness. It is more about feeling incomplete, and the roots are spiritual. Children may not consciously think of it but they cry out for a parent and cling tightly so that they will not feel it. Teens begin to know their individuality and then often become part of group that gives them a sense of ‘belonging.’  Adults join associations, become fans of a sports team, join a church, to bolster their sense of inclusion.  Our ‘selfies’ and Facebook posts are often a protest that says “I exist and I matter.”  But, deep inside, a basic sense that we are alone persists unless we find the true answer to existential anxiety.

Christmas includes a message from God to each one of us about the ultimate answer to our sense of being alone. Matthew, in his Gospel, quotes Isaiah’s prophecy about the arrival of the Messiah. “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and he will be called Immanuel (meaning, God is with us).” (Matthew 1:23, NLT)

God is near- "Immanuel, God with us!"  In Christ Jesus, we find that relationship that gives us the greatest peace, that survives all others, with One who will never leave us, betray us. We know Him in a way that survives even the final separation – death.  We do not have play the human games that people play to find acceptance with others.  He knows us and loves us. We are assured that Immanuel did not come just to be among those who are 'together,' or rich, or beautiful, or brave, or intelligent. Jesus Christ, is the God of the uncertain, the forgotten, the weak, those sometimes discarded by those among whom they live who are in a search for something or someone that they hope will ease their sense of walking alone.

• The Father chose a young girl from a hill town to bring His Son into this world.

• He was born in the animal shelter 'out back,' because the room 'up front' was full. Just maybe the kinsfolk of Joseph in Bethlehem had 'no room' specifically because they knew that Mary's pregnancy was a scandal.

• The royal family in Judah determined early on to kill Him, and Jesus' family became fugitives for a time until Herod's death.

• As He began His adult ministry, Mark tells us that His own family thought He was mentally unstable and tried to bring Him home to avoid embarrassment.

• At the end of His short life, He hung naked, pinned to a rough cross, bleeding to death, while passers-by hurled insults at Him. Pilate mocked Him - "The King of the Jews" read the sign ordered nailed above Him as He died, a cruel joke.

In all of this we are reminded that our God is not far away. He came to be one of us, with us, to know the life we live. Yes, He is Immanuel.

Immanuel is not just a Name. It's a statement. He understands YOU.  As you face your existential questions, when you wrestle with weariness in life, when you are overcome by brokenness, if you are told you are not worthy of being ‘included,’  Immanuel says, “I’m here always!”  Know that He offers more than sympathy. In Him you are ‘included!’  "And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory." (Ephesians 1:13-14, NIV)

Mary's song captures the joy we can know because of the Christmas promise. Read it thoughtfully today. Note the triumph in the words, spoken prophetically, and with great hope. Particularly note that she rejoices that God knows her, ‘He took notice of me!’    

"Oh, how I praise the Lord. How I rejoice in God my Savior! For he took notice of his lowly servant girl, and now generation after generation will call me blessed. For he, the Mighty One, is holy, and he has done great things for me. His mercy goes on from generation to generation, to all who fear him. His mighty arm does tremendous things! How he scatters the proud and haughty ones! He has taken princes from their thrones and exalted the lowly. He has satisfied the hungry with good things and sent the rich away with empty hands. And how he has helped his servant Israel! He has not forgotten his promise to be merciful. For he promised our ancestors-Abraham and his children- to be merciful to them forever." (Luke 1:46-55, NLT)

Not alone, not unknown, not destined to know isolation. Immanuel has brought you into the Father’s family, restored your relationship with the Holy One. Exult in that today.

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Our word from the Word points us to the security that comes from knowing our Immanuel. 

"And now you also have heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you.
And when you believed in Christ,
He identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago.
The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us everything he promised
and that he has purchased us to be his own people.

This is just one more reason for us to praise our glorious God." (Ephesians 1:13-14, NLT)

Immanuel, what a beautiful Name.

Panic Attack!

It was the middle of the night and suddenly I was fully awake, my breath coming in gasps, my heart pounding. I realized that I was having a panic attack. Something had triggered my body into a full response to a perceived, but unreal, threat. A few moments later, I was back in control. I am not a coward, nor am I given to running from life's challenges;  but I am realistic about the vulnerability of my humanity. While I refuse to allow fear to control my life, I know it is important to make choices that reduce my exposure to dangers that are part of life. Still, I do not spend a whole lot of time focusing on the potential dangers that lurk all around me.  There is simply too much living to do!

In the story of the birth of Christ the phrase, "Fear not!" is recorded on three separate occasions when persons encountered the messengers of the Lord. 

• Mary, when she was told that she would be the mother of Jesus, was not elated.  Luke tells us that at first she was "confused and disturbed," by God's will.   But, the angel assured her that God's favor would rest on her and then he said, "Fear not!"   
  
• Joseph heard that his fiancé was pregnant and he knew it was not his child. He was torn between his desire to love her and his honor. He had decided to quietly end the engagement when the Lord showed up and told him "fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost." (Matthew 1:20, KJV)  Isn't it amazing?   Basically, Joseph is told, "just trust Me!"   And, he did!  
  
• Zechariah was doing his priestly work, offering incense on the prayer altar, when he was told that he was about to become a Daddy.   The only thing was that Elizabeth, his wife, had been unable to conceive and was now by all human accounts too old to have a child!    How did Zechariah respond?   "He was troubled and fear fell on him."  (Luke 1.12)   And what did God say?   You've figured it out by now, right?  Yes, you're right - "Fear not!"

Mary did not know how it was going to work out, what God's announcement would mean for her life, but she trusted God anyway.   Joseph did not have any explanation for a virgin's pregnancy, but he was willing to step over his lack of understanding and do what God wanted him to do as he trusted the Sovereign Lord.   Zechariah took a while to come around, but he gained a deeper knowledge of the Person of the God he served, and came to trust Him completely.  

Now the question comes to you and me - will we trust Him with all things?  

Will we argue for fuller explanations, demand that He make His plans, even for tomorrow, crystal clear? 

Or will we hear Him say, "Fear not!" and choose to live faithfully, just for today?

When I am tempted to be fearful, I renew my understanding of His rule over every part of my life and my desire to live in the center of His will. Either I trust Him or I do not; there is no middle ground.  He is Lord of all, or He is not Lord at all.  There is great confidence available to us when we rest ourselves in the promise of the Lord that He will accomplish His plans for us and through us! Let’s be careful about confusing ‘fate’ and ‘faith’ by just assuming that everything is “God’s will.” 

We can walk in our own will. The sinful choices of others will affect us. We have a spiritual foe “who seeks to work us woe.”  That is why our daily conversation with our Father is so important. When we are walking close to Him, we will align ourselves with His desire for us and in that place, we will live securely. Hold tightly to this promise -  "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?" (Hebrews 13:5-6, NIV)  Fear not!  Take this line from the story of the birth of Jesus and make it your guide.

Here is a word from the Word, a prayer of David.

"The one thing I ask of the Lord— the thing I seek most— is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord’s perfections and meditating in his Temple. For he will conceal me there when troubles come; he will hide me in his sanctuary. He will place me out of reach on a high rock. Then I will hold my head high, above my enemies who surround me. At his Tabernacle I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy, singing and praising the Lord with music." (Psalm 27:4-6, NLT)
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O Come O Come Emmanuel (Veni Emmanuel)

(Lauren Daigle’s beautifully prayerful presentation of the carol moves me.)

O come O come Emmanuel

And ransom captive Israel

That mourns in lonely exile here

Until the Son of God appear

Rejoice rejoice Emmanuel

Shall come to thee O Israel

O come Thou Dayspring come and cheer

Our spirits by Thine advent here

Disperse the gloomy clouds of night

And death's dark shadows put to flight

O come Desire of nations bind

All peoples in one heart and mind

Bid envy strife and quarrels cease

Fill the whole world with heaven's peace

John Mason Neale | Thomas Helmore

© Words: Public Domain