Thought for the Day – Towards a New Year.
Monday
Luke 2.19 “But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.”
The day after Christmas isn’t an anti-climax. Christmas isn’t past and finished. The gift of Christ is God’s self-giving love, coming amongst us, to be with us, always, as Immanuel. Treasure that up in your heart, and ponder, and be glad and grateful. “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift.”
Tuesday
Luke 2.20 “The shepherds returned to their fields, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.”
Like the shepherds, back to normal where nothing much has changed. Except we have changed. The world is different because of the coming of Jesus. This is a world where the feet of God walked as human feet. Shepherds who were of no social standing, stood in a floodlit field at an angel rock concert, and then stood first at the manger. Theirs were among the first eyes to see Jesus. No wonder they went away singing.
Wednesday
John 1.14 “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
Maybe we won’t sing Christmas carols again for a while – though I’ve often thought we should sing one occasionally near Easter. “"Hail the Heav'n-born Prince of Peace! Hail the Sun of Righteousness! Light and Life to all he brings, ris'n with Healing in his Wings." See. Christmas and Easter converge. We have seen his glory, full of grace and truth - in the manger, on the cross, and in that early morning sunlit garden.
Thursday
Matthew 1.23 “You shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
Names matter. This child’s name will describe who he is and what his life is about. It was a common and popular boys’ name. The humility of God is shown in his coming as the child of a poor family, born in an obscure village, hunted as a refugee – and yet, he was the eternal Word made flesh, Jesus who saves us from our sins. “How sweet the name of Jesus sounds in a believer’s ear; it soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds and drives away his fear.” The same writer wrote, “Amazing Grace”!
Friday
Matthew 2.11-12 “Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, and of incense and of myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.”
Like the shepherds, the three travellers go back where they came from, and to the lives they knew. They had worshipped and handed over precious gifts, and deep down they knew the world had pivoted. Our world will always have its Herods, so drunk on power they don’t care about who suffers. But power is not God, and not God’s way. Love is God’s way. Gold speaks of God’s precious gift of Christ; incense is the gift of our worship; myrrh is the sign of sacrifice. Deep down, because of the coming of Jesus, we too know the world has pivoted, Immanuel, God with us.
Saturday
Isaiah 9. “And his name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
The loving wisdom of God the Counsellor; the redemptive purpose and power of the Mighty God; the patient persistent love of God the Father; the reconciling grace and costly love of the Prince of Peace – these are the promises which all find their YES in Jesus. “No matter how many promises God has made, they are all Yes in Christ.” These four names would be a good way of structuring our prayers – for guidance in decisions, grace and strength, comfort and assurance, and peace for us and others.
Sunday
2 Corinthians 8.9 “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.”
This is Paul arguing with the Corinthians to get a move on and give generously to the fund to help those who were starving from famine around Jerusalem. He goes to the very heart of our faith. We have been so enriched and blessed by Jesus’ self-sacrifice; so, in turn we are called to live into and out of that grace, that generous, joyful and life changing Gift of the heart of God. “He who did not spare his own Son, will he not freely, with him, give you everything else you need?” Of course He will!
Comments