I shared some reflections a few weeks ago. Although I've been a Bible learner and disciple of Christ for many years, I do not yet have this walk figured out. It's filled with missteps and mistakes, and even when I re-read some of my prior posts, I can see how I could have represented the truth more fully and adequately. It is humbling to know that God still brings truth even in our tiny bit of understanding.
Today, we start a Bible study I've refused to write for months. It is a chapter out of my dark soul and a testament to the bright communion God showed me over a long, swarthy night. I know I need to sit still and get some of the messy, messy work God has graciously done down on paper. I dread it and welcome it all in one.
The self-improvement market was worth $9.9 billion in 2016 (thanks to a little research data). Did you know you can think and grow rich and only work 4 hours each week? Since you’ve freed up so much time because you’re highly effective, you can have your cheese moved, be an untethered soul, learn the 48 laws of power, understand big magic, and wash your face! Or, you can figure out the sacred secret now…
No matter how you choose to celebrate Christ this season, let the Messiah–not the mayhem–reign in your heart. May you be richly blessed in Him!
Read: Luke 1:46—55
46 And Mary said:
“My soul glorifies the Lord
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is his name.
50 His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful
55 to Abraham and his descendants forever,
just as he promised our ancestors.”
Reflect: Out of the overflow of Mary’s heart, she praised God. She recalled her unworthiness (verse 48) and His might (verse 49). She speaks of God’s mercy (verse 50) and the deeds He has performed to orchestrate that exact moment (verse 51). Declare His praise today, for He is mindful of you and extends His sweet mercy to you. He has fed you, helped you, and will forever be with you.
Respond: Mighty One, You are beyond comprehension and full of beauty and grace. Thank You for Your extension of love to me and Your priceless gift of salvation. While I am a wretched person, You saw it fit to pursue me. Help me “to live a life worthy of the Lord and please [You] in every way” (Colossians 1:10).
Tot Time: With the children, spend some time making a list of all the things you’re thankful for that God has given. Call out God’s characteristics (i.e., loving, kind, patient, etc.) and write them down.
"God measures our love for Him by the love we show our brothers and sisters in every day fellowship with them. It is a serious thing to realize that our love for God just isn’t genuine if it fails the test of daily life with our fellow human beings. The same thing is true with humility. It is easy to think we humble ourselves before God. But humility before people is the only real proof that our humility before God is more than just a figment of our imagination. It is the only true evidence that humility has made a home in our hearts and become our nature." - Andrew Murray
