Tag: Christmas Devotion

Today’s Christmas Word Is … AFRAID

Thu-Dec-26-2019

Today’s Daily Devotion is about the change in the shepherds from being afraid to having great joy.

When the angels appeared to announce the birth of the Savior to the shepherds, they reacted by being afraid. I suppose most anyone would, but there is more background to this in their case. You see, absolutely no one would be approaching shepherds who were watching their flocks.

Shepherds were not highly revered in society. For instance, in court cases, the testimony of a shepherd by himself was not allowed unless another witness was there to corroborate.

It makes me think of the number of people I have known or ministered to in my lifetime, who have what I call a “poverty mentality.” It goes beyond just the money issue. It is about people who think of themselves as “worth less” than others.

I grew up with such thoughts about myself. I thought my opinion was not as valuable as that of others. It took more than half a lifetime to overcome this. These particular shepherds seem to have overcome it in one night!

First, they instantly grasped the meaning of the announcement. You see, Bethlehem was close to Jerusalem, and was a supplier of the lambs used for sacrifice in the Temple. A sacrificial lamb had to be unblemished, so at birthing time, the shepherds would take the new lambs that had no imperfections and wrap them in strips of cloth (swaddling) to keep them unblemished until they were taken to the Temple.

To hear the angel say that the baby would be in a manger wrapped in swaddling cloths was a connection to the prophecies of Isaiah about the suffering Messiah, the lamb of God.

Once they were no longer afraid, the shepherds were ready to go and see … now.

Luke 2:15  When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.”

For a group of fellows who didn’t feel very welcome in public, this was quite a significant adventure. And after their visit to see the Christ child, their courage increased even more.

Luke 2:17  When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. 18  And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds.

The birth of the Messiah was the work of God for everyone … from the lowly shepherd … to the Wise Men from the East.

For some people, it takes years and years to overcome the deeply ingrained feeling that they are not worth as much as others. But God wants to cleanse you from self-degradation and fill you with the proper value he has given you, all the while maintaining a true and healthy sense of humility.

Unto YOU a Savior has been born.

Blessings,

Chaplain Mark Davis

(The Daily Devotion “Today’s Word Is” is published Monday – Friday.)

Today’s Christmas Word Is … FULFILLED

Wed-Dec-25-2019

Today’s Daily Devotion is about the fulfillment of God’s promise to send a Savior to be a light in our darkness.

This is a bit crazy, but imagine there was no Christmas, no celebration that God has fulfilled his promise. There would be a dreariness about life and a temptation to think that all is meaningless and without purpose. But thankfully, the promise has been fulfilled.

Why Christmas? The most important first step for anyone who is seeking a life of hope, peace, joy, and love is to admit that “I need help.” And Christmas is God’s gift that says he will provide the way. He knew that we could not achieve or earn our way to the blessed life. God’s plan was to wait for the right moment in which to enter our world, and show us the way, up close and personal.

God revealed in the Old Testament this promise of sending a redeemer. Isaiah the Prophet spoke of this promise 700 years before the birth of Jesus …

Isaiah 6:2 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. …

6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

7 Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.

Many Israelites had been holding on to that promise. Some had given up. And many people in the rest of the world didn’t even know that a day of hope might be coming.

The original Christmas, the birth of Jesus, was the day the world had been waiting for. In Bethlehem, two thousand years ago, the promise was fulfilled. All of history was leading to that moment, and all time since looks back to that moment.

In the book, The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, from the C. S. Lewis series The Chronicles of Narnia, there was a spell over the land from the White Witch that made it always winter. But Aslan, the Lion, the Christ figure in those books, came to break that spell. It involved giving his own life as a ransom.

Just like that relentless winter in Narnia, our world lived in darkness, in need of a Savior. But Isaiah, in the passage above, announced well in advance that “those in darkness” would “see a great light.” A son would be born, whose reign and peace would have no end. There would be light in the darkness.

There is a secular song that speaks truth when it says that Christmas is “the most wonderful time of the year.” And the Christmas carol, O, Little Town of Bethlehem, sums it up powerfully by saying, “The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.”

There is a lightness to Christmas, in some respects. We decorate, give gifts, laugh, sing, have a good time, and experience a peace that can hardly be described. But there is also a great seriousness, that this celebration is about the fulfilling of a promise that touches the depths of our souls and makes live worth living.

Not only has the world as a whole been sent a Savior, but we can even personalize it and say, “The hopes and fears of all my years” have been met in the Christ child tonight.

Merry Christmas from the Daily Devotion site “Today’s Word Is!”

Chaplain Mark Davis

(The Daily Devotion “Today’s Word Is” is published Monday – Friday.)

Today’s Christmas Word is … EXTRAORDINARY

Daily Devotion for Tue-Dec-24-2019

Today’s Daily Devotion is about Joseph’s journey from ordinary to extraordinary.

God already knew that Joseph had the makings of an extraordinary person, but my guess is that the folks in Nazareth probably thought of both Joseph and Mary as rather ordinary people. One passage that makes me think this is something that occurred years later during Jesus’ ministry …

Matthew 13:54 Coming to his hometown, [Jesus] began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” they asked. 55 “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? 56 Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?”

In the eyes of the townspeople, this whole family seemed ordinary. But it was this chosen family that nurtured Jesus just the way God needed. Isn’t it interesting that the Holy One of God had been raised in what seemed like an average family? Obviously, the neighbors didn’t have a clue what was happening!

Perhaps if Joseph had been mayor of the town, or a rabbi at the synagogue, the locals might have seen things differently, but instead he was thought of as just the town carpenter. But God had a plan and had been guiding Joseph on a journey from ordinary to extraordinary. This included playing a key role in the family. Although Joseph was not the “natural” father of Jesus, he was nevertheless the leader of the family in the Jewish tradition. And this was critical in fulfilling God’s purposes.

Going back to the beginning … when Joseph heard of Mary’s pregnancy, and knowing he was not the father, the norm would be to end the engagement. But here was revealed his godly character …

Matthew 1:19  Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

Notice these words … righteous man … and quietly. This reveals his respect for the faith and his kindness. (Pause to ask if this applies to myself.)

Now it is time for the next step of the journey. Does Joseph know how to listen for guidance?

Matthew 1:20  But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21  She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

The question for Joseph, and us as well, is “are you paying attention to God?” … Because God is going to ask some surprising questions and give some out-of-the-ordinary directions. And if we believe and have the courage, we will respond according to God’s purposes (not our own).

Matthew 1:24  When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25  But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

At this point, Joseph was “all in!” He demonstrated his new willingness to become the extraordinary man God had called him to be when he followed this path … he took Mary on a 97-mile trip to Bethlehem, stayed in a barn, welcomed unexpected visitors, and perhaps the most amazing … when he needed to protect his wife and child from danger …

Matthew 2:13  When [the Wise Men] had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”  14  So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt …”

Would you concede that God also has you on a journey from ordinary to extraordinary? It’s not about doing something famous necessarily, nor about being widely known and admired. Regardless of how much is built into us, we all pretty much start out as ordinary. The things in between ordinary and extraordinary for Joseph were that he had a basic faith; he was kind toward others; he listened when God guided him; and he did as he was directed, regardless of the difficulty. Thus, he found himself fulfilling the extraordinary life that God had placed within him from the beginning. You can, too!

Blessings,

Chaplain Mark

P.S. I hope you go to a Christmas Eve service!

Today’s Christmas Word Is … QUESTIONING

Mon-12-23-2019

The faith of Mary is to be admired. I want that kind of faith. The angel Gabriel, who is the chief messenger angel, came to her with the news that she had been chosen to bear the child who would be the Savior, the Messiah.

Hers was not the only angel visitation in the Christmas story. Joseph also had such an encounter, as did the shepherds. But there was an announcement that preceded all those. Several months prior, it happened to Zechariah, a priest serving in the temple. He was the husband of Mary’s cousin Elizabeth.

Luke 1:10 And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.
11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to [Zechariah], standing at the right side of the altar of incense.
12 When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear.
13 But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John.
14 He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth …”

Amazing … he and his wife were chosen to be the parents of the one to be called John the Baptist, the forerunner who would prepare the way for the Messiah. Zechariah’s first response to the angel was to ask an intriguing question based on the fact that he and Elizabeth were past the child-bearing age. They were childless and had prayed many years for God to grant them a child. My guess is that Zechariah had given up on the idea. So …

Luke 1:18 Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.”
19 The angel answered, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news.
20 And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their proper time.”

Gulp!!! This was not the answer Zechariah was hoping for! I can’t talk for the next 9 months!

But hold on … when Gabriel came to tell Mary that the Holy Spirit would bless her with a child, she asked basically the same question. It went like this …

Luke 1:30 … the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.
31 You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.
32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,
33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”

And … Mary asked a question … it was not about old age, it regarded a bigger problem … she was not married and had not “known” a man, meaning no intimacy.

Luke 1:34  “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

And the angel proceeded to tell her all about how this would come to pass. Woohoo!

Here’s the key. God knew that Mary asked her question in faith, whereas Zechariah had unbelief within him. Unfortunately, he had let disappointment rob him, causing him to ask a question that lacked faith. It is okay to question God … but it matters what is in your heart. With God, all things are possible.

This Christmas, may we resolve to live with the faith of Mary, rather than letting past disappointments tarnish our hope. We may have questions, yes, but it is a wonderful joy to have a great confidence in God that he will accomplish his good purposes, regardless of how unlikely or how difficult we think they might be.

Living by faith and rejoicing in the glory of Christmas!

Chaplain Mark

P.S. Today was about Mary, tomorrow is Joseph, and Wednesday is Jesus!

Today’s Christmas Word Is … LOVE

Thu-Dec-19-2019

“I Love You” changes everything.

That is what God said at Christmas, “I love you.”

1st Corinthians is called the Love Chapter of the Bible

Verse 13 ends the chapter as the Apostle Paul says, “And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.”

Every person caught in a life problem, can best be helped by first loving them. It tills the ground for God to grow his harvest. Until the person feels loved, their heart will be cold and hardened, and unlikely to grow a good crop of healthy fruit.

If there is someone you want to change … love them.

If there is someone who has hurt you … love them.

If there is someone who is in the wrong lifestyle … love them.

Here is the Christmas version of 1st Corinthians 13

By Sharon Jaymes

If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows, strands of twinkling lights and shiny balls, but do not show love to my family, I’m just another decorator.

If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies, preparing gourmet meals and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime, but do not show love to my family, I’m just another cook.

 If I work at the soup kitchen, sing Christmas carols in the nursing home and give all that I have to charity, but do not show love to those I came to help, it profits me nothing.

If I trim the Christmas tree with shimmering angels and handmade snowflakes, and go to a dozen Christmas parties and sing in the choir’s cantata but do not focus on Christ, I have missed the point.

Love stops the cooking to hug the child.

Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the spouse.

Love is kind, though harried and tired.

Love doesn’t envy another’s home that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens.

Love doesn’t yell at the kids to get out of the way.

Love doesn’t give only to those who are able to give in return, but rejoices in giving to those who can’t.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails.  Video games will break, pearl necklaces will be lost, golf clubs will rust, my job will someday cease, and the house will eventually be gone.

But giving the gift of love will endure forever.

Share the love!

Chaplain Mark

1st Corinthians 13 (NRSV)

The Gift of Love

1 If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

4 Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. 7 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

8 Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. 9 For we know only in part, and we prophesy only in part; 10 but when the complete comes, the partial will come to an end. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. 13 And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.

Today’s Christmas Word Is … JOY

Wed-Dec-18-2019

In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, celebrity Brad Pitt reflected on his lead role in the movie Fight Club, which is about a man who has the American dream and yet remains unsatisfied:

Pitt: Man, I know all these things are supposed to seem important to us—the car, the condo, our version of success—but if that’s the case, why is the general feeling out there reflecting more isolation and desperation and loneliness? If you ask me, I say toss all this—we gotta find something else. Because all I know is that, at this point in time, we are heading for a dead end, a numbing of the soul, a complete atrophy of the spiritual being. And I don’t want that.

Rolling Stone: So, if we’re heading toward this kind of existential dead end in society, what do you think should happen?

Pitt: Hey, man, I don’t have those answers yet. The emphasis now is on success and personal gain. [smiles] I’m sitting in it, and I’m telling you, that’s not it. I’m the guy who’s got everything. I know. But I’m telling you, once you’ve got everything, then you’re just left with yourself. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: it doesn’t help you sleep any better, and you don’t wake up any better because of it.

Citation: Rolling Stone Magazine (10-28-1999)

The life of a follower of Jesus is supposed to be filled with joy. I must admit, however, that it hasn’t always been for me. It’s taking me a very long time to understand and receive all the gifts of Jesus. I wish I could say that every church does a great job of teaching us how to be joyful, but alas … not so.

If you are one of God’s slow learners, like I am, I would like to help you speed things up. To understand the meaning of joy, let’s discuss the difference between joy and fun.

Jesus said, “I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.” (John 15:11)

We always say to people, “Have fun!” And fun is good. The joyful life of a Christian includes lots of fun!

Fun and joy are different in these ways:

Fun is temporary … Joy is permanent. Fun is sought … Joy is received. (The Scripture above says it came from Jesus.) Fun does not guarantee that we will also have peace and joy. Joy on the other hand is released within us by the hope and peace that characterize who we are.

Fun by the world’s standards can sometimes involve destructive behavior. People may get hurt feelings or may destroy friendships. The well-being of others is not necessarily a consideration. The point is to make oneself feel better. And when the activity is over and the fun goes away, sometimes they are left with an emptiness. Eventually they become desperate for another “fix” because there is no inherent joy that keeps residence in their spirit. This is the condition Brad Pitt spoke of in his interview.

Fun for the Christian is designed to bless everyone involved, not just oneself.

I invite you, if you are not already doing so, to let the joy loose in your life. When you receive good news, rejoice! The shepherds who were watching over their flocks must have had the promises of God built into them. The Israelites were trained to memorize Scripture. Only the elite class could read. The common people would do their best to store God’s Word in their hearts. So, when the angels spoke and sang of the birth of the Savior, they knew exactly what that meant. Their eyes lit up; their hearts leapt. They didn’t wait until tomorrow to check it out.

When the angels went away from them back into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us.” (Luke 2:15)

Someone tried to teach us about joy when we were kids. Sadly, many adults have forgotten how to sing it and still mean it. “I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart … down in my heart to stay!”

Christmas Blessings,

Chaplain Mark

Today’s Christmas Word Is … PEACE

Tue-Dec-17-2019

This week I am giving you four key words for Christmas … hope, peace, joy, and love.

Yesterday’s word was hope. Today consider that the message to the shepherds in Luke 2:13-14 was about peace:

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”

Jesus came so that you might have peace. Hope and peace work together. You hope that good things will happen, but while you are waiting, the peace of God can reign in you, because you can trust God that everything will be okay.

Sometimes the issue of control can interfere with our peace. The ability to exercise control is an important human characteristic, but there is an unhealthy extreme at which others begin to think of us as controlling. When things don’t go as we desire, there is a delicate balance by which we must decide whether to try harder or to trust God for outcomes beyond our reach. If trying harder results in a loss of peace, then we must surrender control and our dependence on it and instead exercise trust.

The famous author, Catherine Marshall, told a story about her friend Marge, who was “aboard a plane bound for Cleveland, waiting for takeoff. As she settled into her seat, Marge noticed a strange phenomenon. On one side of the airplane a sunset suffused the entire sky with glorious color. But out of the window next to her, all Marge could see was a sky dark and threatening, with no sign of the sunset.

“As the plane’s engines began to roar, a gentle Voice spoke within her. ‘You have noticed the windows,’ God whispered beneath the roar and thrust of the takeoff. ‘Your life, too, will contain some happy, beautiful times, but also some dark shadows. Here’s a lesson I want to teach you to save you much heartache and allow you to abide in Me with continual peace and joy. You see, it doesn’t matter which window you look through; this plane is still going to Cleveland. So it is in your life. You have a choice. You can dwell on the gloomy picture. Or you can focus on the bright things and leave the dark, ominous situations to Me. I alone can handle them anyway.’”

In the words of Jesus, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

God’s gift of his son at Christmas reminds us that he wasn’t going to try to convince us from afar that when we arrive at the end, we will finally find peace.

He came as the baby Jesus, born in a manger. He didn’t send us a map, he sent us a trail guide!

He came to accompany us home, so that we might have peace now, and every moment along the way!

Merry Christmas!

Chaplain Mark

Today’s Christmas Word Is … HOPE

Mon-Dec-16-2019

The movie The Pianist portrays the story of Wladyslaw Szpilman, a Polish musician who survived the horrors of World War II, including the execution of his family, to become a leading concert pianist of the 20th century.

For a time, Szpilman is living underground, hidden by friends, and shuttled from place to place to avoid detection by the Nazis. In one scene he is ushered into a small barren apartment by a friend, who cautions him to remain silent. This hiding place is next door to the head of police and across the street from a hospital caring for wounded German soldiers.

“You are now living in the heart of the lion’s den,” says his friend. “Keep as quiet as possible.”

When the friend leaves, Szpilman eyes an old piano in the corner of the room. Having not played for many months, he is drawn to open its keyboard and lift the felt cover off the keys.

A symphony orchestra begins to play, and we see Szpilman seated at the piano with his hands above the keys. As the music proceeds, his his hands go into motion , and the piano can be heard. The viewer is led to believe that Szpilman cannot resist playing, and the thought comes into your mind that he has just given himself away. But as the camera pans downward, you realize that while his fingers are moving as if playing every note, his hands are not actually touching the keys. The music you are hearing is all in his head and his heart.

This soon-to-be famous pianist is existing in the hope that he will play again before crowds of people. Hope is a powerful thing. It will keep you going in the direst of circumstances.

Most of the people in this world have limited hope. They live without the inner presence of the true God as revealed in the Scripture. Their reality is based merely in the physical world. In this sort of existence, the only way to have hope is to mentally figure out what is and isn’t possible. A coworker may say, “You’ll never get that promotion.” A doctor may say, “You’ll never walk again.” A counselor may say, “Your child will never be able to overcome this handicap.” From this perspective, certain things are not possible, so why hope for something that you think could never happen?

But for those who belong to the Lord, who have given themselves in faith to Jesus, and in whom the Holy Spirit of God is alive, there is always hope. How is that? Because for God, “All things are possible.” A friend of mine prayed for decades for his father to come to faith, and when his father was in his late eighties, he repented and gave his life to the Lord. There is no time limit on hope and prayer.

Is there something or someone in your life that you have given up on? Remember this verse: Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26}

Christmas is first of all about hope, a hope which began long before the Christ child was born in Bethlehem.  The Israelites had waited for hundreds of years and were still waiting and hoping. The Scripture said that the Messiah was coming, and “if God says it, I believe it.” An old hymn says, “Hope is an anchor.” Without it, you can lose your position and your bearings. But with hope, you can remain firm.

May your hope be renewed this Christmas,

Chaplain Mark

Prayer for the Day:

Dear Lord, Thank you for the hope that you have planted deep in my heart and soul. I must admit, Lord, that there are some days when that is about all that keeps me going. Other times it is easy to have hope, because things improve, and I start getting a little excited. Give me the kind of faith that remains steady. Remind me today and every day that you are the God of hope, and that you are faithful to sustain me. If there is anyone I am about to give up on, or something that I felt was a promise from you which is taking a long time to come to pass … renew my hope and put me back at ease. And Lord, if there is someone around me who seems to be losing hope, let me be their reminder of your faithfulness. In your Son’s name I pray, Amen.

An Old Testament prophecy about the coming Messiah:
Isaiah 42:1- “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations.
2- He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets.
3- A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;
4- he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his law the islands will put their hope.”
5- This is what God the LORD says– he who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and all that comes out of it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it:
6- “I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles,
7- to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.

Today’s Christmas Word Is … STARS

Thu-Dec-12-2019

Everyone has had a few dark times in life. Maybe you’re having one right now … or someone you know is going through difficulties. When you’re in the dark, you need light. In my twenties I was going through a difficult period and someone said to me, “When it gets dark the stars come out.”

That means people, of course. There are lights that come forth in our darkness, if we are paying attention. God sends certain people to shine in our times of struggle. They answer questions. They give encouragement. Sometimes they’re just present, and that is enough. They may laugh with us when it is hard to laugh. They may cry with us and thus share our grief. And they celebrate with us when the morning comes.

The Christmas season has this great symbol of a guiding star leading the Wise Men to their destination. The circumstances and difficulties of the journey can be endured as long as that star is visible. The ever-present light of God never fades nor fails.

Christmas is a great time to think about the “stars” who have shone into your life at strategic times. Think of some names. Give thanks for those persons one at a time. What if you contacted some of them and told them what they meant to you at a specific time in life, and what that means to you now? They may not know that they were having such an impact on your life.

And one more thing … having been blessed by someone else’s light in our darkness, we can also look around at those who are experiencing something difficult and be a light that dispels their darkness. What a wonderful Christmas gift that would be!

Shine on!

Chaplain Mark

“… then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life.” Philippians 2:15-16

Prayer for the Day:

Dear Lord, Thank you that your light never stops shining on my life. Today I lift up to you a prayer of thanks for those persons that served as a star in the night when I struggled through dark times. Your wonders never cease. Sometimes tears come to my eyes when I think about how those persons rescued me from despair and lifted me up. Lord, let me be a star in someone’s night. Because I have held on to hope, may someone see in me a glimmer of hope that they also can hold onto and find their way. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Today’s Christmas Word Is … DESTINY

Wed-Dec-11-2019

Sports Illustrated columnist Rick Reilly called it the “Play of the Year.” A local newspaper called it “the touchdown heard around the world.”

Jake Porter, 17, a member of the Northwest High football team in McDermott, Ohio, was born with chromosomal fragile X syndrome, a common cause of mental retardation. He couldn’t read. He could barely write his name. But he loved football, and he faithfully attended every practice.

Northwest coach Dave Frantz wanted to do something special for Jake in his senior year. So, several days before a game against Waverly High in the fall of 2002, Frantz called his friend Derek Dewitt, the head coach at Waverly. Frantz suggested that both teams allow Jake to run one play at the end of the game, assuming the game wasn’t on the line. Jake would get the ball and take a knee, and the game would end.

Rick Reilly’s story in Sports Illustrated told the story …

With Waverly leading 42-0 and five seconds left in the game, Frantz called a timeout. Jake trotted out to the huddle, and the two coaches met at midfield. Jake’s coach Frantz reminded the other coach of the plan, that Jake would simply take a knee. But the opposing coach wasn’t satisfied. He said, “No, we want him to score.” Frantz objected, but Dewitt insisted.

Coach Dewitt went back to the sideline and called his defense together. “They’re going to give the ball to number 45. Do not touch him! Open up a hole and let him score! Understand?”

The teams lined up and Jake got the ball. His teammates told him to run, but Jake started going in the wrong direction. The back judge rerouted him toward the line of scrimmage.

Suddenly, the Waverly defense parted like peasants for the king and urged him to go on his grinning sprint to the end zone. Imagine having 21 teammates on the field. In the stands mothers cried and fathers roared. Players on both sidelines held their helmets to the sky and whooped.

And amid the stadium-wide uproar, Jake kept running and running … all the way to the end zone. Touchdown! The moment of a lifetime!

Two thousand years ago, God had a plan. And regardless of all the obstacles and unlikeliness of how things were going to happen, God made it work. He told his plan to two surprised people, Mary and Joseph. He prepared the way, parted the opposition, and into the world was born a humble child, yet the person at the center of history.

You and I also have a destiny. Aspects of it are going to seem unlikely to us. But God will show us the way. He will part the opposition. People will be there to point us in the right direction. And God will get us all the way to the goal line. For us … well, we just keep running.

Let this be a Christmas of renewal for you. Believe in God and his plan to fulfill his promises and his destiny in your life.

Merry Christmas!

Chaplain Mark

Prayer for the Day:

Lord, thank you for this Christmas time of year, and for people like Joseph and Mary, who believed in your plan and were willing to embrace your destiny for them. I know that you have a plan for me and that I am part of something bigger than myself. Thank you for the destiny you have placed on my life. Whenever I am unsure, remind me that you are making a way. Thank you for the many times you have pointed me in the right direction, including those things I felt you doing for me, and also the ones I didn’t even know about. Keep me smiling … and help me keep running. I love you, Lord. Amen.