These last few months have been a whirlwind of activity,
faith and thanksgiving! From the process
of looking at a variety of houses to purchase, to going under contract with
what ended up being the very first house we walked through that miraculously
came available to us after being under contract to another potential buyer, to
packing, the move and now the patient building daily joy of settling in!
As I walked the fence line of our large backyard last
night in the waning moments of daylight with our faithful dog in tow, I stopped
at various spots along the way and could not help but thank the Lord for the
faithfulness of His long range plans for us.
As I stood gazing at the front neighborhood, I could hardly keep the
tears from flowing as I silently mouthed the thought that this is everything my
wife and I have ever dreamed about in a home!
Every day I see things that we had talked about in the past come to
fruition in this new home. From “unknowingly” buying the right lawn
mower seven years ago so that I could easily trim the hard to get spots on the
slopping ditch in the front near the road, to the type of windows, the built in
surround sound speakers, the covered front porch and so on!
All these thoughts came to mind this morning as I
considered our Advent Calendar blog series that we are starting today. As you read through and experience each of
the supernatural events of Christ’s birth and the beginning of Papa God’s plan
of salvation, consider just how He painstakingly planned every detail to fit
His loving desire to bring each of us into His kingdom! That even though these stories took place
thousands of years ago, they are still coming to fruition for each of us in
2015 and beyond.
Think about that for a moment! He still has plans for us that we don’t even
know about yet! Romans 8:28 tells us
that “all things work together for the
good of those who love God-those whom he has called according to his plan.”
(God’s Word ©) As you make this Advent
Calendar to be a part of your daily Christmas season activities, open up your
expectations to dream about all the good things that Papa God started – just for you – within the lines of these
stories of Christ and His love for you and me!
_____________________________
Today we begin a journey through the Christmas Story as
related to us through the living Word of God.
This month long adventure combines the Old Testament prophecies with the
New Testament records of the actual events as they occurred over 2000 years
ago. Our journey will take the form of
an Advent Calendar that will give us daily insights, encouragement, and some
ideas for activities to enhance your celebration of the birth of Christ.
If you will recall, the Advent Calendar is a special activity
that originated with the 19th century Lutheran’s in Germany and is used to count
down the days until Christmas. Each day includes
a special event such as a reading, activity, gift or candy that is unveiled to
the participants. It is a great family
experience, but also can be used as a daily devotional for individuals or for
small groups. It is a wonderful
opportunity to focus on the true meaning of Christmas. So I would encourage you to let this month’s
blog posting become a part of your Christmas tradition! Please feel free to share your thoughts and
personal experiences with us all throughout this Holiday Season!
A
Puzzling Announcement
Monday,
the first week of Advent
Today’s Reading: Mark 1:1-3 / Luke 1:1-25
As I studied the first chapter in the book of Luke verses
1- 25, I was repeatedly amazed at the significance of every little detail of
the interactions between Zechariah and the angel Gabriel. It became very evident that our heavenly
Father wanted to make sure that every part of His plan for our salvation was
accomplished in perfect order, according to the prophecies of old.
From His very selection of Zechariah and Elizabeth with
their shared family heritage from the line of Aaron, their having His approval
because they chose to live a life that “followed
all the Lord’s commands and regulations perfectly” (Luke 1:6 God’s Word ©),
to the specific location of the visitation in the temple in Jerusalem, as well
as the particular hour that it occurred during the daily time of public
prayer. In legal investigation jargon
you could say that God wanted to leave a clear and undisputable paper trail
that would easily lead the Jews to the correct understanding of the importance
to the event that happened on that day.
Another point to consider would be that the angel Gabriel
was the same heavenly messenger that prophesied to Daniel some 500 years
earlier about the coming of the Messiah.
His appearance to Zechariah was the first such visit or prophesy given
to the Jews for some 400 years. This was
an earth shaking event that should have shook the very foundations of the nation
of Israel… but then the human part of the
equation came into play!
As a descendant of Aaron according to the division of
priests from Eleazar, the eldest son of Aaron, Zechariah was most likely
trained in the Holy Scriptures from his earliest childhood years. He had to have been very knowledgeable of the
prophesies regarding the coming Messiah, but when the angel appeared to him and
presented his glorious message, Zechariah immediately slipped into the natural
mode and could only see the impossibilities of his wife’s and his old age! His exhibited no faith, but demanded physical
proof before he would consider accepting what had just been told him. That seemingly small oversight caused the
potential of a big snag in God’s highly planned series of events that were to
begin with the birth of the one who “will
prepare the people for their Lord.”
(Luke 1:17 God’s Word)
Gabriel though, was a seasoned messenger and probably had
a good understanding of the human disposition and quickly remedied the
situation by silencing Zechariah so that his unbelief would not stop the plan
of God. His inability to clearly explain
what had happened with the heavenly visitation to the people who anxiously
awaited his over-extended return from the Holy of Holies outside of the temple,
just added to the confusion surrounding the event and resulted in the
puzzlement of the people. The people
knew that something special had occurred, but had to wait another year before
they understood the true significance of the event that day.
This story makes me consider all the well laid plans that
God has for yours and my life, and the many times we have stepped in trying to
understand the plan from a natural point of view. These sense based reactions have a tendency
to throw a wrench into God’s directions for us.
God knows us, He knows our idiosyncrasies, our personalities, our
education, our family backgrounds and our job resumes! When He outlines something for us to do, He
has already taken that all into consideration.
Zechariah was the perfect choice for this part of God’s plan for the
coming of Jesus, but he looked at the
natural and panicked! God used him
anyway, but I am sure that the time between the announcement of the event and
the birth of their son was very difficult and emotional for the old
priest. After he had time to consider
everything that had happened, I would think that Zachariah wished he had
responded differently to the heavenly messenger who approached him on that
fateful day while in service in the temple.
This event that occurred at the very beginning of the New
Testament is a good place for each of us to take a personal look at ourselves
and where we stand when it comes to our faith in the callings that God chooses
for us throughout our lifetimes. Like
Zechariah, would you have a hard time looking beyond the physical state of
things in the situation you face? Would
your health, your finances, your education or what your family and friends may
think be more influential to you than your personal experience and trust in
God? How would you like to live the time
between the announcement of God’s plan for you and its fulfillment? Zachariah has given us some insight, and it
would probably be a good idea for us to consider it!
This might also be a good conversation starter for you
and your family and friends as we begin this year’s Holiday season. Have a great day. Stay in tune to His Word, and keep asking
yourself… “What Course of Action am I
expecting To Take today?”
