Friday, December 22, 2006

Taste and See


God’s Words are sweeter to my taste than the finest chocolate in all the world! He is so good! This Christmas He has given me His irresistibly delicious concoction of promises and commands in the story of the Shepherds allowing me to taste and see divine delicacies I never noticed before.

These ordinary, scruffy men were minding their own business, tending their flock on an ordinary night when an angel of the Lord appeared before them and the glory of the Lord shone around them. For one full week, I basked in the glory of the envisioning the powerful dazzling light from heaven reflecting God’s moral beauty, perfection and presence.

These strong, unkempt men who were normally brave enough to fight off the most brutal of beasts were terrified of the magnificently bright light coming out of the sky. God’s powerful presence is terrifying, but in the midst of the stunning radiant beams from heaven afar are the angel and the heavenly hosts giving us a magnificent message from our Father in Heaven.

First the angel tells us to not be afraid of God’s powerful presence.

Next he tells us that Jesus has been born “to you” – in our hearts.

Third, the angel delivers us God's immeasurable peace - not the superficial peace of the world, but God's perfect peace - the peace that calms storms.

Jesus is in the manger of your heart saving you from any fear, shame, ridicule, rejection, humiliation, mistakes, failures, pain, suffering. He is there because God's Word says so, and His Word is always right! This is irresistibly delicious concoction of promises and commands that enables us to sing His praises at all time … including troubling times.

The light can be terrifying - and perhaps it should be because it's the glory of God – His felt presence. However, we are his children, blessed, chosen, adopted, accepted, redeemed and forgiven ... and therefore, we have nothing to fear! We don't have to shrink back or belittle ourselves. Because God’s favor rests on us, He has given us the peace of Jerusalem. That is why we can boldly stand in the light, glorifying God in the highest with our praise and worship even in the midst of our troubles and fears.

This Christmas celebrate that you’ve been chosen by God to receive the Good News. With Him in the manger of your heart, you can boldly stand in the light of His love, free from fear. Wow! What a gift!

I encourage you to treasure up all these things and ponder them in your heart ... then glorify and praise God for all the things you have heard and seen, which were just as He said they would be in His Word.

May you have the most joyous Christmas ever!

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