There are just sometimes you just couldn’t orchestrate something any better even if you tried. Know what I mean? Case in point: this morning.
I have an almost constant pattern in the morning. I seldom deviate from it. Other than the shower, etc I take every morning, I have what I call my Encounter Time (ET). Some call it their Quiet Time. During my ET, I use several different resources to read and meditate on, but the crux is my reading from the Bible. I am almost constantly reading from Psalms (usually 2 chapters a day, except 119); every other month the book of Proverbs (1 chapter/day = 31 days); and from the NT. This year I have read through the NT twice and am now on my 3rd time. This will obviously carry on into 2024. Today’s reading was from Psalm 39-40, Pr. 21, and Mark 15-16. There was some great stuff in Psalms and Proverbs today, but the real irony was in Mark. Mark 15-16 is about Jesus’ death and resurrection!!
This is Christmas…the birth of Jesus and I’m reading about the death and resurrection. The irony didn’t escape me. Birth. Death. Resurrection (Life). The story of His life and purpose. Then the words to a well-known Christmas song came to mind. Here is a snippet: “Veiled in flesh the Godhead see; Hail the incarnate Deity; Pleased with us in flesh to dwell, Jesus our Emmanuel…Mild He lays His glory by, Born than man no more may die, Born to raise the sons of earth, Born to give us second birth.”
The irony-no, the truth-does not escape me. Birth. Death. Life. They go together. For Jesus. For us. Or maybe I ought to say, “For Jesus. Because of Jesus for us.” The birth needs the death and resurrection to give meaning. The death and resurrection needs the birth to have a beginning. “Born to raise the sons of earth/Born to give them second birth/Hark the herald angels sing/Glory to the newborn King.”
Celebrate His birth with the future (His and yours) in mind.
I wish there was a “LIKE” feature on blogs, because sometimes the post says it all, and I just want to say, “Amen!” or “I like it!” This is one of them. Amen! I like it!
Thanks Pam! I will take that “like.” 🙂
Amen, Bill!
Thanks Diane!
Great summary Bill,
Great thought to carry through the season and into the new year.
Thanks Ryan. I pray you and Amanda and family have a Christ-focused Christmas
They absolutely go hand-in-hand, Bill. We can’t celebrate Jesus’ birth without knowing what it ultimately meant for you and me.
Blessings!
That’s it exactly Martha. A birth with consequences for the one born but victory for the ones He came to save.
All I can say to this one is I am praising God along with you!
Welcome to the “Praise God” fan club. 🙂