“Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord rises upon you." Isaiah 60:1
What a terrific Christmas verse this is. Our blog coordinator kindly suggested we focus on this scripture for this glorious month and I am so glad she did. [Thanks, Brenda.]
So here's my take on what God is telling me:
ARISE - Wake up out of your worldly stupor, Glynis!
SHINE - Talk about Me and think about Me all day so others may see Me.
FOR YOUR LIGHT HAS COME - Christmas is solely about celebrating the arrival of Jesus as man made Flesh. Keep your lovely traditions and enjoy your family get togethers, but remember without Me, Glynis, there would be no you (oh, and no turkey for you to enjoy!)
AND THE GLORY - Don't even try to replicate My majesty with your puny twinkling decorations. I like it when all is calm and all is bright, but remember that Holy Infant so tender and mild...He is the The Real Reason for the Season.
OF THE LORD: not Santa...but the Lord Almighty, Prince of Peace, Emmanuel!
RISES AMONG YOU: Glynis. Get ready for the most amazing reminder this Christmas...be as a child and trust Me to fill your life with the raw joy and beauty of that first Christmas. Joy to the World, the Lord hath come!
Sometimes I wonder what 'to be as a child' means then I remember another scripture in Matthew 18:3 - 'Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."
This was best demonstrated to me a couple of years ago one Christmas eve. We attended the candlelight service at our
church. A silent and holy night; all was calm; all was bright. Trenton, my
beautiful little grandson, was seated on the pew next to Mommy and Grandma.
Two shepherds were centre stage dramatically sharing in the
marvel of that first Christmas night. Then the lights on the balcony shone down
on the husband and wife duet as they spoke to the congregation. It was surely a
chorus of the heavenly host announcing that the Babe, laid in a manger, was the
Prince of Peace. How the two shepherds longed to see the Child.
Trenton, although only three years old, sat rapt. His little
mouth, agape, he stared and listened to the shepherds on stage as they shared
the story of Christ's birth. Then at one point, they made plans to leave the
sheep and go to the stable to gaze upon the little Jesus child.
This might be a bit of a paraphrase, but the lady shepherd
said to her beloved, "Let us go see the Child." Her partner agreed that they should leave and in a moment the
two had left the stage and headed down the aisle past where Trenton and the
rest of us were seated.
Trenton leaned over to his Mommy and asked, "Where are
they going?"
Mommy answered, "To see Baby Jesus."
"Can I go with them?" said Trenton.
**********
I want to rise and shine and go with the shepherds to see Jesus, too. I think I know how to do it. Trenton taught me how...
Glynis:
ReplyDeleteI love the natural humour in your writing and the simple directness of this piece.
I find it too easy to dismiss the simplicity of the gospel message--simple enough for a child.
Our youngest daughter made a confession for Christ when she was three years old. Amazing!
Yet there is a depth to the Christian faith that can draw the interest of the most profound.
Thanks Glynis
Beautiful personlization of an important verse, Glynis. And such a sweet story about your little grandson. Me too, I want to go see Jesus :)
ReplyDeleteIt is so precious to see the story through the fresh eyes of a child!
ReplyDeleteI suspect the bottom photo is of your grandson, Trenton. And his beaming, glowing face sums up your story so well.
ReplyDeleteLovely post, Glynis. And I love how you put yourself in the verse. That is such an effective way to meditate on God's Word.
ReplyDelete