Mitchell County
Every year, Wendy and I struggle with what to get each other for Christmas. We have been very, very blessed throughout our marriage and have all of the things we really need. Around October of each year, we begin to wonder about what we can give each other. We both have all of the clothes we need and all of the tools and kitchen gadgets we need. We have been married almost 50 years and have all of the furniture, things to sit around the house, and such that one could ever possibly want. Yet, there is a desire in our hearts to give each other something special. It’s that desire that is prompting me to write what I am writing for this December article. What do I really want for Christmas? As I filter my wants through the Word of God, I am coming up with a pretty long list. I hope you agree with me and would like these top three things!
First, I want the Lord to reveal Himself in a tremendously powerful way all over the world. The shepherds were on the hillside keeping watch over their flocks. The night was ordinary; the sheep were asleep, the stars were shining, and they were talking among themselves when suddenly the sky lit up with the glory of God. In Isaiah 6, Isaiah is struggling. King Uzziah had died, and the nation was in trouble. The people of God had turned away from Him, and the judgment of God was falling upon them. Isaiah walked into the Temple and saw the Lord seated upon a throne. Nothing had changed in the world, but the Lord had revealed Himself to Isaiah. That revelation brought hope, joy, encouragement, and peace to Isaiah’s heart. I want that for us! Our nation (and world) is so far away from God. We can see it in news broadcasts, and we see it on our streets. What we are seeing brings discouragement and despair, but if we could just get a glimpse of the Lord seated on His throne as Isaiah did, we would have the same peace, hope, and encouragement as he did. Our Churches would be fuller and our jails would be emptier. News broadcasters would have less bad news to report. Our streets would be safer, and there would be a lot more souls being added to the Kingdom if we could just see Him.
Second, I want all of God’s people to remember His unspeakable gift and to celebrate it and praise Him for it! We have been given life…eternal life…the forgiveness of our sin(s) and a home in glory with Him. We will be reunited with all of our loved ones who knew Him as Savior before life on earth was over for them. I am afraid that too many times we forget what He has done for us. As I ponder this point, the lyrics to “Jesus Paid It All” are coming to mind. Remember them? The first and last verses, along with the Chorus, read:
Verse 1) I hear the Savior say, “Thy strength indeed is small, Child of weakness, watch and pray, Find in Me thine all in all.”
Verse 4) And when, before the throne, I stand in Him complete, “Jesus died my soul to save,” My lips shall still repeat.
Chorus) Jesus paid it all, All to Him I owe; Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow.”
The remembrance of where we were before salvation, what He did to save us, and where we are headed should bring brokenness and a thankful spirit in our hearts. Folks being mindful of this are humble, gentle, loving, prayerful, and give praise continually to the Lord. These kinds of people refresh our souls when we come into their presence. I want that!
Lastly, though there could be many more things I would write about, I want all of God’s people to settle on the fact that He is Lord, the Lord of life, of family, of government, and of the Church. I want all of us to seek His will and to follow that will to the very best of our ability. My, how that would change the way we do things!
Imagine homes where the Lord is sought before decisions are made. Imagine what Church would be like if He were truly the One calling the shots. What about our government? We are in a historic shutdown of government as I write this article. It shows the fact that there are so many who are not seeking His leadership but who are making very important decisions for us that do affect us powerfully.
In the early decades of our nation, our leaders would pray before every meeting and before every decision made. Statements were made such as “No decision needs to be made without seeking the Almighty.” How I wish we had been doing that over the last decades! We would not have aborted 70 million babies. Marriage would be one man and one woman. Language so prevalent today would be more Christ-honoring than that which glorifies satan. If only our three most important institutions of home, church, and government had been doing that instead of following their own perverted ways, things would be vastly different.
Pray with me this Christmas season that these three wants of mine do actually come to pass. Pray that we remember His sacrificial gift and let that remembrance govern every word, thought, and deed. Pray that we honor Him as Lord of all and follow His will in every relationship, action, and decision. And, pray that He reveals Himself mightily all around our world as He did in Isaiah’s day and when the shepherds were on the hillside. Wouldn’t these three things make this Christmas the greatest ever!
Merry Christmas from my heart and home to yours!
From my heart and home to yours, Happy Thanksgiving!
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Bruce Cannon is the Pastor of Pine Branch Baptist Church in Spruce Pine, NC. You can read more by Bruce Cannon here.
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