light of the world

Glory to God in the Highest!

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Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. Luke 2:14 KJV

I am a big fan of the carol, “Angels We Have Heard on High.” and sometimes call it “the country Christmas carol,” because an angel showed up out in the country where shepherds were watching their sheep. But the first angel who came announcing the birth of the baby, was soon surrounded by an entire choir of angels singing, “Glory to God in the Highest!” That angel choir reminds us that Christmas is not just about Mary, Joseph and the shepherds. Christmas is about God revealing Himself in a manger. Just as the smallest candle can light the darkest room, so God’s glory shone the brightest when He came as an innocent, helpless child in the darkness of that night in the stable. Then, angels carried the message; a star led the wise men and shepherds ran to worship as God’s glory touched earth in Bethlehem.

The words of the choir of, – Angels We Have Heard on High – “Glo-ooooo-ooooo-oooooria! In excelsis Deo,” are Latin for “Glory to God in the highest. “When the message of God’s glory rings out from our hearts, though our situation may not change, we are filled with joy. If we will invite Him in, Jesus has come to be born in the very darkest places of our lives. He has come to shine God’s glory around us and to bring His good will to men. 

Angels We Have Heard on High from the French"Les Anges dans nos campagnes" Music by Wilfrid Moreau. Translated in 1842 by James Chadwick

Light for Our Path

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Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. Psalm 119:105 KJV

For those of you who do not know, our daughter-in-law Melinda has been battling with ovarian cancer over the last two and a half years. Melinda recently finished her third round of chemotherapy, but after experiencing severe back pain she was admitted to the hospital over a week ago. After many tests, the doctors discovered that, the chemo had weakened the bone structure of her back leading to a fracture. Then this Tuesday, they did surgery to stabilize it, and also took a biopsy while they were in there. Yesterday the report came back positive for cancer, and we would appreciate everyone’s prayers for Melinda. Sometimes during these last two weeks it has felt like we were, wandering in a dark cave, with no assurance of finding a way out. But during my quiet time this morning, I came across today’s verse, and it occurred to me, that the writer of this Psalm may have also been facing a dark situation and like us, was looking for a light for his path. Imagine the joy they discovered when they found that what they needed was right in front of them, in the Word of God. During the dark and lonely times in our lives it is easy to be attracted to things like sporting events, parties, or social media in an effort to distract ourselves. But the Word of God is the true light and always available. Any other light is at best only temporary, like a flashlight whose battery is nearly spent, it soon flickers and goes out. None of us knows how long the darkness we are facing will last, but we can depend on one thing. The word of God is a light for our path, and no matter how long our night, it will shine on and on!

God knows that we can’t generate that light within ourselves, instead He wants us to run to His word, where we can find there an inexhaustible, immeasurable power source. In the darkest places of our lives, His word will shine, and not only for our own path, but also for the pathways of those around us whose flashlights are already going dead.

Photo by Simon Migaj on Pexels.com

Prayer: Father, help me not to look to the temporary lights of this world, but to completely rely on Your Word, because it is a light that no darkness will ever be able to put out!

The Christmas Star

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When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh. Matthew 2:10-11 KJV

The story of the wisemen did not begin with who they were – it started with a star. The Bible explains that, while they were still far away, they saw a star. Now, we don’t know if God spoke directly to them, or if they learned about it by reading the Hebrew scriptures, but they believed that this star signaled the birth of a miraculous king. Then they made the biggest decision of their lives and left everything behind to follow the star. Where the wise men came from remains a mystery, but who they were going to see is known around the world. In a similar way, some of us come from broken homes with difficult or even dangerous circumstances. Others have been born into families with every need provided and are eager about our future. But whatever circumstances of where we are from doesn’t matter to God. He sends a star so that anyone can follow, if we choose.

Those wise men of long ago, also came with a purpose of which they were not ashamed. “We have come to worship Him.” they told everyone, when they arrived in Bethlehem. They weren’t bothered by the fact that there was no palace for this king. Instead, they humbly offered their gifts, bowed before the King of Kings and worshipped at His feet. Today, though the wise men have returned home, the Christmas star still shines and can lead anyone who will follow it to Bethlehem. There at the manger, Jesus still welcomes both wise men and wise women, who have come to worship Him!