Advent 2023: Gifts Fit For a King

“They opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh,” (Matthew 2:11)

What kind of gift do you bring to a newborn King? When royals or celebrities have babies, gifts pour in from all around the world. Lavish, expensive presents like giant stuffed animals, beautiful baby clothes, and the very latest in baby transportation. Only the best will do for these little ones of such high standing. When the wise men came to visit Jesus, they brought gifts worthy of a first-century king – gold, incense, and myrrh. Many scholars believe there is significance in each of these gifts: “Gold might represent His deity and purity, incense the fragrance of His life, and myrrh His sacrifice and death (myrrh was used as an embalming spice).” (From The Bible Knowledge Commentary: New Testament). Scholars believe these costly gifts funded the family’s flight to Egypt and back to Nazareth to protect Jesus from Herod.

I love the story of the little boy who, during the offering at church, set the plate on the floor and stood in it. His embarrassed mother pulled him back to his seat and whispered “What are you doing?” He replied in a very loud voice, “But Mommy, I don’t gots no money, so I wanted to give Jesus myself!” He preached a sermon by his example But our little friend is right on target. Just as the magi presented Jesus with gifts, the Bible tells us that we are to “present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God,” (Romans 12:1). In the first two verses of Romans 12, Paul tells us that our gifts to God are our bodies (v. 1) and our minds (v. 2) – what we do and how we think. In other words, we are to give every bit of ourselves to the Lord. Remember Jesus’ words about the great commandment: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30). This covers your affections, your emotions, your convictions, and your life-focus. It’s total surrender. We love God by giving Him ourselves, inside and out.

The greatest treasure you have is you. Beloved, let all of you be your gift to Jesus this Christmas.

Words of Wisdom

The book of Ecclesiastes was written by King Solomon, the wisest ruler that ever lived. His wisdom came to him directly from the Lord God when he took over his father’s throne as a very young man. He began his rule well, submitting to the Lord’s authority and Law. His decisions were righteous and just and his reputation for both understanding and wealth were known far and wide. Israel enjoyed peace and prosperity during his reign. But for all that God-given wisdom, Solomon acted very foolishly in his life. For starters, he got tangled up with multiple women – 700 wives and 300 concubines – most from foreign lands. “And his wives led him astray; [they] turned his heart after other gods” (1 Ki 11:3,4).

He also turned his heart toward himself. He “built houses for myself”, “owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem,” “amassed silver and gold for myself,” and  “denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure” (Eccl 2:4-10). The result of all his pleasure-seeking and self-satisfaction? “Everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind” (v. 11). He discovered what God knew all along – a self-centered life is a miserable life. Everything he did, everything he built, everything he gained was all for himself.

It’s a lesson humanity still hasn’t mastered all these generations later. We live in the age of self – self-esteem, self-worth, self-care, self-determination, self-knowledge, and selfies. No other generation seems more self-focused than this one.  When life is all about self, life is meaningless. People who do not have a relationship with God have such a sad outlook. But when our lives are about the glory of God, we find real meaning and purpose and passion. A life lived for self is wasted. A life lived for God is full and rich.

Solomon divided his discoveries into things “under the sun” and things “under heaven.” Under the sun referred to anything that was temporal: buildings, pleasure, wealth, possessions, reputation, earthly wisdom, position and popularity. Under heaven was anything with eternal value: love, Joy, heavenly wisdom, people, salvation, humility, kindness, peace, hope, and the glory of God.

In the end he said, “Here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man” (Eccl 12:13). It was the wisest thing he ever said. Beloved, it is the wisest thing you will ever do.

The Protection and Power of God

One of my favorite Bible accounts is where Elisha and his aide were pinned down by the Arameans who had surrounded the city to capture Elisha.  The prophet’s aide saw the army with its horses and chariots and soldiers and cried to his master “O my lord, what shall we do?” (2 Kings 6:15) 

Ever been there?  Me too, when all I could do was look at my life and cry, “O my God, what am I going to do?”  Elisha told his aide, “Don’t be afraid. Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.  And “the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha” (v. 16-17).  The Lord’s army had encircled Elisha and stood between him and the enemy.  The man of God – and his aide – were divinely protected.

God has promised to take care of you – but it requires spiritual eyes to see Him surrounding you, standing between you and whatever difficulty is bearing down on you.  He goes before you (Deut. 31:8) and He is your rear-guard (Isaiah 52:12). You are surrounded by His unfailing love and faithfulness (Psalm 32:10; 89:8). 

But wait. There’s more. This is from a post I wrote seven years ago. God (and Facebook memories) brought it to my attention this morning. And then He brought something else. “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 Jn 4:4). Who is “them?” “The spirit of the antichrist” (v. 3). The driving force of evil in the world and the enemy of God and His people.

Who is the “one who is in you?” The Holy Spirit. The indwelling presence of Christ. The very same Spirit that brought Jesus back to life (Rom 8:11). Do you understand what this means? Not only is the Lord God before you and behind you and all around you – He is also in you filling you with Jesus’ power and strength and wisdom and discernment and faith – “. . . everything we need for life and godliness” (2 Pet 1:3). I don’t know about you, but that blesses my heart.

Beloved, whatever surrounds you today, whatever is bearing down on you, remember this, God has surrounded you with His presence and filled you with His Spirit. Now “Go in the strength you have” (Ju 6:14). His strength – and His victory.

In the Heat of the Battle

The Old Testament is filled with battle stories because God’s people were constantly under attack from every direction. There were rare seasons of peace in the land – but it wouldn’t be long before another enemy came at them and the fight was on again. The books of Kings and Chronicles chronicle many of those battles (did you see what I did there?). One of those stands out to me – in 2 Chronicles 20. Jehoshaphat was king of Judah (the southern kingdom of what was once a united Israel) and their enemies, Moab and Ammon “came to make war” (v. 1) These were very powerful armies and as they drew near, the king went to God for help. He knew his nation was not able to fend off the “vast army that is attacking us” (v. 12). But he also knew that the Lord “ruled over all the kingdoms of the nations” and that “power and might are in Your hand” (v. 6). And he knew that they were God’s own precious possession and He would defend them.

I wonder if you, like me feel like you are constantly in a battle. It seems attacks come at us from every side. From the culture, from the forces of evil, from politics and human ideology, from the devil himself, from the stresses and strains of life, from people – sometimes from family, and from our own temptations and desires. What are we to do?

We do what Jehoshaphat did. We take it to our King and Defender, the Lord and we trust Him to fight our battles, just as He did for Judah. The prophet told the king, “Do not be afraid or discouraged . . . the battle is not yours, but God’s” (v. 15). The king commanded the people to “have faith in the Lord your God” (v. 20). And there’s something else I saw in this story that will help us in our battles. Jehoshaphat “appointed men to sing to the Lord and praise Him” – and praise they did, “with a very loud voice” (vs. 21, 19). Beloved, when the battle is on, when the enemy is breathing down your neck, when the culture is trying to shut you up, when people are screaming in your face or scheming behind your back, when temptation is dangling a luscious apple in front of you, call on Jehovah Maginnenu – the Lord your Defender, pick up your shield of faith (Eph 6:16), and sing praises to God – with a very loud voice.

It’s All About Your Roots

I have been known to let a cactus die for lack of water, so I am not exactly an expert in gardening. I have a few plants in containers on my back porch that I also forget to water occasionally. This has been a rainy week in our area so I set all my pots out in the yard so God could water them for me. When I moved them back onto the porch one of the plant’s runners had started setting roots in the ground. I had to tease them out of the soil to move it.

Roots are an important part of the Christian life, and where you choose to plant your roots determines your spiritual health. Roots are the plant’s way to take in the nourishment and moisture it needs to grow healthy and strong. I once planted some elephant ear bulbs at a corner of my house and was disappointed in them. The soil was weak and sandy and they couldn’t get what they needed to thrive. My plant’s roots were unhealthy and so were its leaves. They reminded me of Job 18:16 which says, “His roots dry up below and his branches wither above.” This person has his roots in the wicked and evil world. He has no concern for God, but only for himself. He chases after pleasure and wealth and lives only to satisfy his flesh to the detriment of his soul. He has shallow roots and shallow thoughts, shallow desires, shallow relationships, and ultimately a shallow end.

I added some mushroom compost to the soil and the results were amazing. The plant’s roots dug into the amended soil and took in the nutrients it provided. Those elephant ears grew to be huge and lush. I was stunned one day to discover flowers! They were so happy and healthy that they thanked me with their beauty. Now I had 2 Kings 19:30 plants: “[They] will take root below and bear fruit above.” This is the spiritually healthy person who has planted himself in the rich soil of God’s Word, God’s Spirit, and God’s love. He flourishes because he is receiving everything he needs “for life and godliness” (2 Pet 1:3). His roots are strong and he has godly thoughts, godly desires, godly relationships, and an eternal future with no end.

Where have you planted yourself, Beloved? What happens on the top of the soil – and the whole of your life – depends on where you set your roots.

It All Matters to God

The woman told her pastor, “I never bother God with the little things.” “Madam,” he replied, “He’s God. To Him, it’s all little.” I chuckle at that, but at the same time, I recognize the truth therein. God is bigger than all man’s problems. No trial or struggle will ever measure up to Him. Overflowing sea in front of you and the Egyptian army at your back? No problem. Massive wall around the city God has given you? No problem. Giant threatening your nation’s army? No problem. A royal edict to wipe out your people? No problem. God’s got it.

But what about the “little” problems? That headache you’ve got from your kids running through the house at top speed and volume all day? The pile of laundry sitting beside the broken-down washing machine? The stack of work on your desk that keeps growing no matter how much you do. The dog next door that barks. All. Night. Long. And what’s that weird clunking sound your car has been making all week? Does God care about those things? Why would He even notice your everyday stuff while He is busy keeping the universe spinning?

The God who took the Israelites through the sea on dry ground (Ex 14:22) and drowned the entire Egyptian army (vv. 26-28), pulled down the walls of Jericho (Jos 6:20), put a small stone in a giant’s head (1 Sam 17:48-50), and rescued the Jews from annihilation (Est 9:5) also gave His thirsty people water from a rock (Ex 17:5-6), provided a poor widow with overflowing oil to buy her sons out of slavery (2 Ki 4:1-7) and gave another an inexhaustible supply of flour and oil to sustain her family through a drought (1 Ki 17:12-16).

That’s why Paul said, “Pray in the Spirit on all occasions, with all kinds of prayer and requests” (Eph 6:18) – of every size and shape.

So I will leave my problems – the big ones and the small ones, and the big ones in a small body – in my Father’s hands. But I’m not going to walk away. I’m going to sit down at His feet and watch what He will do. And maybe crawl into His lap for hug. I encourage you to do the same. Beloved, If He has “numbered the very hairs of your head” (Mat 10:30) you can be sure that He is paying attention to you and everything that concerns your life. Big, little, and everything in between.

The Battle is On!

Lately, the Lord keeps taking me to battle stories in the Bible, where Israel is overwhelmed and threatened in the face of a powerful enemy. Today I’m in 2 Chronicles 20 and the Moabites, Ammonites, and Meunites are coming against Judah (the southern half of the Kingdom of Israel). The king, Jehoshaphat, did two things right: he proclaimed a fast for all the people in his territory (v. 3) and he prayed (vs. 5-12) It’s an awesome prayer and you really should read it. The king declared the sovereignty, power, and might of the Lord God and reminded Him of His promise to hear His people and save them. Only then did he point to the enemy and their threats. And he said, “O our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us.” And here’s the part I am holding onto with all my strength: “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you” (v. 12).

I heard a preacher once say, “You are either in the middle of a spiritual battle, coming out of a spiritual battle, or are about to go into a spiritual battle,” and he was dead on. As I said before, spiritual battles are part of the Christian life as long as satan roams the earth. And we may be outmatched but God is not. Listen to the word of the Lord through His prophet: “Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.” (v. 15). And there’s more: “You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you . . . Do not be afraid: do not be discouraged . . . the Lord will be with you” (v. 17).

The next morning the king told the people, “Have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld;” (v.20). Then he ordered the oddest battle plan: “Sing to the Lord and praise Him for the splendor of His holiness” (v. 21). As they sang His praises “the Lord set ambushes” against their enemy and they turned and destroyed one another” (v. 23).

God still fights for His people. And He hasn’t lost a single battle yet. Yours won’t be the first. Trust in the name of the Lord your God Beloved and get ready to shout for Joy when He brings the victory!

Do It Again, Lord

God, I need a miracle.

I need You to part the sea again (Ex. 14:21).

I need You to bring water from a rock again (Ex. 17:5-7).

I need You to bring down the walls again (Jos. 6:20).

I need You to make the sun stand still again (Jos. 10:13).

I need You to take down the giant again (1 Sam. 48-49).

I need You to keep the oil flowing again (2 Ki. 4:1-7).

I need You to make the ax head float again (2 Ki. 6:1-7).

I need You to move the shadow back again (2 Ki. 20:10).

I need You to stand in the fire again (Dan. 3:25).

I need You to shut the mouths of lions again (Dan. 6:22).

I need You to calm the storm again (Matt. 8:23-27).

I need You to heal and raise the dead again (Mk. 5:21-43).

I need You to feed the multitudes again (Matt. 14:13-21; 15: 29-39).

I need You to walk on the water again (Matt. 14:22-33).

I need You to take out the demon again (Mk 1:21-26).

I need You to open blind eyes again (Matt 20:29-34).

I need You to turn water into wine again (Jn 2:1-11).

I need You to turn little into much again (Jn. 6:5-13).

I need You to make the lame not just walk, but jump again (Acts 3:1-10).

I need You to set the prisoner free again (Acts 12: 1-17).

I’m not asking for much Lord. Just a miracle. You did it before. I need you to do it again.

Dig a Ditch

This is a word to someone besides me. But first a Bible study lesson. Under the Lord’s direction, three nations – Israel, Judah, and Edom – joined forces to do battle against a common enemy, Moab. After days of marching the three armies were out of water – a very dangerous situation. They called on Elisha, the prophet of the Lord who said, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Make this valley full of ditches. You will see neither wind nor rain, yet this valley will be filled with water, and you, your cattle, and your other animals will drink.” This is an easy thing in the eyes of the Lord; He will also hand Moab over to you.” (2 Ki 3:16-18).

In the morning, every ditch overflowed with water. The animals and people were refreshed and the army was encouraged by the hand of the Lord. But that’s not all. When the early morning sun hit the water it appeared red to the Moabites in their camp across the way. They thought the three armies had killed one another and filled the valley with blood. They took off to gather the plunder, unprepared for the ambush that followed. Not only did God provide water to aid the armies of Israel, Judah, and Edom, but the water became a trap for the Moabite army.

What does that mean for you and me? I’m so glad you asked. When we come to God seeking His help and favor, don’t think He will reject us or begrudge our asking. Instead, we should dig ditches to prepare for His blessing. We shouldn’t limit God’s ability to overcome our difficulties. We should expect that He will “do immeasurably more than all we ask or image, according to His power” (Eph 3:20).

I’ve seen Him do some amazing things just this week. Makes me wonder what He would’ve done if I’d dug my ditches a little wider. I don’t know what your need is today – water, funds, hope, strength, healing, peace, wisdom, or a full-blown miracle. Here’s my advice, Beloved, grab a shovel and start digging.

Roots and Fruits

 

I spent most of my growing-up years on the move. As a military family, we picked up stakes and set up “home” somewhere new every few years. From Texas (my birthplace) to Okinawa, Georgia, Alabama, Germany, and back to Alabama again where my Mom said “Done.” I look back on those years with fondness now, but as a kid, I just wanted to settle down somewhere and stay. I wanted to put down roots.

As an adult, I look back over my life and see the seasons when I wandered away from God; those times I thought I could manage my life better on my own. I made some very foolish moves to get away from the structure of church and “rules.” I didn’t want roots. I wanted the freedom to do “my thing” and make my own decisions. But I wasn’t really free. I was just running like a grown-up lost girl. I am so thankful that Jesus came on a mission from the Father to “seek and save the lost” (Luke 19:10).

And when He found me, do you know what He did? He gave me roots – not in a place or even necessarily in a church (though I love my church family) – He gave me roots in Him. Roots that are strong and fixed in the rich soil of His love. Roots that hold firm when the storms of life blow through. Roots that draw deeply from His Holy Spirit. Roots that produce. Isaiah declared “[You will] take root below and bear fruit above” (2 Ki 19:30). What’s amazing is those deep, strong roots go with me wherever He may lead.

Beloved, Jesus came to give you an abundant life (John 10:10), a life that is meaningful, rich, and rewarding.  Deep roots make luscious fruit. Come settle your soul in Him.