Giving Birth to Love

and while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them. - Luke 2:6-7 (NLT)

Can I just say this is one of the most understated events in the bible????  The truth of this hit me yesterday and I'm still pondering it today.  Just one simple sentence to describe the most incredible (and incredibly painful) event in our history.

How scary and potentially horrific do you think it was for this brand new mother? No kind and caring midwife helping her deliver this baby. No warm, comfortable home to ease her pain.  Unsanitary and uncomfortable circumstances to be sure.

Do you think Joseph knew what he was doing? Do you think he was much help during this terrifying and painful ordeal?

That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”

  Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,

 “Glory to God in highest heaven,
      and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. - Luke 2:8-19 (NLT)

Who do you think, other than a midwife or experienced mother, would have some knowledge about birth and what needs to happen afterward in the little town of Bethlehem?  Perhaps men who tended their flocks with care, helping them birth their young and making sure they were cleaned up afterward so that they would remain healthy and productive?

In the Bible, Jesus is referred to as our Shepherd. Why? Because he takes care of us as a shepherd takes care of his flock.  I think it an amazing miracle (as only God provides) that it was shepherds who were called to come and witness Jesus' birth.  Not just because they would tell everyone about it. No, I think they had a much greater purpose in this event (that was perhaps a little too graphic to write down in His Story).

I'm pretty sure these shepherds saved the life of Mary and her firstborn son. At the very least they helped make them both more comfortable, I'm sure.  Who knows, they may have even given reassurance to Joseph, maybe provided temporary nourishment (sheep's milk, maybe?) for Jesus (the Lamb of God) while Mary regained her strength, perhaps imparted some knowledge on what to expect in the coming days.

If I were Mary, I would have been challenged (to say the least) by this experience.  All her faith and trust in the Lord and His plan may have been chucked out the window when those birthing pains finally kicked into high gear.  It's hard to think rationally when a miracle is being ripped from your body.  It's a pretty traumatic way to have a new life finally enter our world. I can only imagine what it may have been like to be the vessel that helped bring our Lord (Love made flesh) into this world!

But, God sent helpers...because Mary needed them. He loves us enough to send His only son into our world to save us.  How could He not love her enough to send her knowledgeable helpers to ease her pain and care for her?  I think this may have been one of the many treasures that she stored in her heart and looked back upon later.

Dear Lord - thank you for opening this window into another dimension of your great plan.  I love seeing the complexity of You! Just as when Jesus boiled every law and instruction you gave down to two simple commandments, you had the author of this book write a very simple statement about your son's birth...and yet there is a world of complexity behind it.  I look forward to you revealing more facets of your truth as I continue my journey through your Word. I love you and thank you for everything you have done for me...and for all of us!

Blessings and peace,

Leah

Scrubbing My Heart

(to understand what I'm referring to below, perhaps you may want to read the Encouragement for Today that I've included even farther below first!) :-)

Good morning everyone,

My house certainly isn't a shining example of cleanliness and fancy décor. I would love to say it's because I value wisdom and the time I spend with the Lord more, but it's probably due to the fact that I would rather do anything but clean. It drives me to distraction to have all that hard work be demolished almost instantly by others who do not notice or care that an area has been cleaned.  I'm willing to do the hard work of cleaning well, but not every single time. If I'm going to have to use elbow grease each time I clean, I'd just as soon wait a while between slaving away with a sponge and bucket!

I do, however, value wisdom and spending time with my Lord very much. In fact, I'm a bit of a Bible and devotion reading junky. I'll give up exercise, visiting with my husband, eating, and any any other number of distractions (cleaning being one of them) to spend time reading the Bible, praying to my Lord and writing down the "ah hahs" (which is hopefully wisdom) that He shares with me. 

The only thing that can derail my morning devotion time is sleep. It's never been easy for me to drag myself into the conscious world before 8am...and now-a-days I have to get up by 6am to get that time in with Him before I start work. But, I do it!  Because my days just don't go well when I don't.  It's bad enough that I live in a cluttered home...it's even harder when I live with an empty, cluttered heart. 

This time in the morning is my time to do some scrubbing on the halls of the home that Jesus has made in my heart. It's my time to invite Him in and thank Him for filling that home with light and life.  It's the best time of the day for me and makes the rest of my day so much better.

Dear Jesus - thank you for sharing your wisdom and love with me. I know that I don't always then translate that bounty into grace and love toward others.  I have such a long way to go in my walk with you Lord.  Please help me to make time every day to delve into your Word and grow closer to you through prayer and ingesting your wisdom. I know that eventually what you place in my heart will bear fruit in my actions with others.  Please continue to point out the areas where I need more of your grace and wisdom and help me grow ever more in your love and joy! I love you, Lord, with all my heart, soul, body and mind.  They aren't squeaky clean, but they definitely show signs of scrubbing and decluttering! Amen.

Blessings and peace,

Leah

December 23, 2011 The Rich Home Sharon Glasgow

"Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to test him with hard questions." I Kings 10:1 (NKJ)

The Queen of Sheba was wealthy and beautiful. She had everything a queen could want - gold, silver, ivory, precious jewels and servants taking care of all her needs.

Well, almost everything.

She'd heard about the famous King Solomon and his miraculous God. Even though her people had many gods to worship, none intrigued her like the Lord God of Israel. Her heart was so moved by His Name she traveled 1,400 miles across the desert sands of Arabia to visit King Solomon, a man who knew this God personally.

Camels can travel around 20 miles a day, so the trip would take her six months each way. She brought a great caravan of servants, loads of spices, gold and unusual woods to give as gifts to Solomon. Her heart and soul longed for riches she did not have, and she sensed they would be discovered through him.

When she finally arrived, she stood before the grandest palace she had laid eyes on. But her purpose wasn't to see the most beautiful archeological place ever built, it was to find a secret treasure.

Scripture tells us she talked to Solomon for hours, asking him deep questions about God. Based on her response, she found what she had longed for and declared, "Blessed be the LORD your God" (1 Kings 10:9a NKJ).

The Queen of Sheba took great pains to find wisdom, yet the wisdom available to her at that time was the lesser wisdom of a man. Even so, Jesus mentions the Queen in Matthew 12:42 and honors her desire for His wisdom.

The wisdom we have access to through Jesus far outshines Solomon's. If the Queen of Sheba would travel six months to find truth, how much more should we search for wisdom by opening our Bibles and hearts to Him in prayer?

When people travel to our home this week, it will not be the seasonal décor or cleanliness that will ultimately impress them. It won't be a perfectly sculpted yard or a new car in the garage. It will be spiritual insight and the presence of grace they will be drawn to — through the Holy Spirit living in us. When we share the love of our God with them they will have visited a wealthy home.

As rich as Queen Sheba or King Solomon's palaces.

Our home is where our heart is, and our heart is Christ's home — a dwelling place for the Lord. Let's be sure to spend time with Him this week so we can be filled with love and prepared with wisdom to offer our guests. May those who enter our homes this Christmas, and in the New Year to come, find treasures that people have traveled the whole earth in search of!

Dear Lord, I want every person who walks into my home to find the riches that only You can deliver. Help me to be a conduit for Your wisdom and love. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:

Do You Know Him?

Sharing Grace - Family Traditions - Gift ideas (e-Book) by LeAnn Rice

It's No Secret: Revealing Divine Truths Every Woman Should Know by Rachel Olsen

All Things Wise and Wonderful: Applying God's Wisdom in Everyday Life (e-Book) by Wendy Blight

Application Steps:

God freely gives spiritual wisdom to those who ask for it. Seek God's wisdom through prayer and the Bible. Ask Him to help you remember all that you learn from Him, and to live it this week.

Reflections:

Do I spend more time fussing over the outward beauty of my home than the inward beauty of my soul?

Can I recall time spent in the home of a gracious, godly person? Do I remember the richness felt there?

Power Verses:

James 1:5, "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him." (NKJ)

© 2011 by Danita Dalton Hiles. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 31 Ministries
616-G Matthews-Mint Hill Road
Matthews, NC 28105

www.Proverbs31.org

What's Your Favorite?

Good morning,

My advent devotion this morning suggested I watch the movie, "The Greatest Story Ever Told" and then posed the following question:

What is your favorite part about Jesus' life?

This question may be referring to the movie, but my heart is pondering His actual life. Which is my favorite part? What moment during His time on earth seems to speak to me more than others?  I have to admit, I'm stumped. You just never know what verse or chapter is going to sweep into my trouble heart or joyous soul and blaze its glory for me.  Just yesterday it was the first chapter in John.  Almost from the first word tears were leaking out of my eyes and awe from soul. 

How can I say just one moment from "The Greatest Miracle & Truth Ever Told" is my favorite?  I can't.  But, I can say that posing this question has been a joy to me as I've pondered and reviewed some of the moments that have especially helped me in my life.

What about you? What is your favorite part of Jesus' life? I invite you to travel down memory lane with your Bible in hand and remember the parts that have helped you the most. Maybe you'll find some other previously unnoticed moments that will speak to you now.

Dear Jesus - Thank you for creating our world and everything in it. Thank you for planning each and every miraculous detail...right down to your coming into this world that wouldn't be here without you. Thank you for sending the Holy Spirit to breathe life into us through You, The Word.  Please help us to remember your earthly life today and ponder on what you experienced for our sakes.  Thank you. I love you. Amen.

Blessings and peace,

Leah

Jesus in Me

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)

Jesus did not die on the cross just to get us out of hell and into heaven. He died on the cross to get Himself out of heaven and into us! It's what we were made for. That is why we long for glory. The truth is, we were created to reveal glory -- just not our own. God created us in His image to reveal His glory by giving visibility to His invisible character within us. Christ in us is the hope of glory. - Renee Swope, "A Confident Heart"

Our Father, which art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done...in earth...as it is in Heaven. - Part A of the Lord's Prayer

Jesus in Me

When I say the Lord's prayer, when I hear others say the Lord's prayer, I say the words "on earth." Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.  But, when I first learned how to sing the Lord's prayer, I was surprised to see that the words were "in earth."  It didn't make sense to me.  Why would He want Heaven to be in the ground? We, the people who need Heaven to be with us, need it on the surface, where we are. On earth!

 ⁷And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. - Genesis 2:7 (KJV)

Ah...the Holy Spirit it paring away another layer of the onion to reveal a little more of the Lord's wonder and glory.  A while back He changed the way I view the words "give us this day, our daily bread." To read that particular "ah hah" you can visit my previous post here: Bread of Heaven.  And now He's clicking on another light in my soul.  Yes, Jesus died for my sins...but not just to get me into Heaven after this earthly body dies.  He died so that He could come, and bring Heaven with Him, into my world now!

We were created from the dust of the earth. We are earth. And we surely need Heaven in earth!

Jesus gave us this simple prayer. We Christians (at least we Lutheran Christians) say it every time we meet, pretty much.  It's a part of what we do. We breathe, we eat, we say The Lord's Prayer.  I, for one, try to focus on each aspect of that prayer so that I'm really, really praying it (not just saying it by rote).  When Jesus reveals His life within this prayer, His miracle shines so brightly I am blinded by joy!

Our Father, which art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy Kingdom (Jesus) come. Thy Will (Jesus) be done in earth (in me!) as it is in Heaven. Lord, give us this day, our daily bread (our Bread of Life, Jesus!) and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation (oh, Holy Spirit, please do not lead us to this testing as you did Jesus), but deliver us from evil. For thine is the Kingdom (Jesus) and the Power (Jesus) and the Glory (Jesus!), forever and ever. Amen. 


P.S. Lord, please help me have a clean and worthy heart for Jesus to live in. Please help me to look to Him first and then reflect His glory out into this troubled world we currently live in. Please help me to share Heaven with everyone I come into contact with. I love you so very, very much! Amen and Amen.


Blessings and peace,

Leah