“Joy to the World! The Lord is come! Let earth receive her King! Let every heart prepare Him room, and heaven and nature sing!”
Isaac Watts penned the words to this popular Christmas carol that exhorts us to rejoice in the season because we are celebrating the coming of our Savior! The Promised One, The Christ, The Messiah has finally come, and salvation is now available to us! What could possibly be any other reasonable response to His amazing gift to us than to rejoice?
No matter what our circumstances are, our Savior is here! Everything we need is in Him! This time of year, we can easily be distracted by the noise, the stress, our grief, or our troubles. And, if our Christmas consists of nothing more than the worldly counterfeits that flash at us through departments stores, websites, and commercials, we will be left with nothing but shallow disappointment. However, as the great book and movie, The Grinch, by Dr. Seuss, says:
“What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. What if Christmas…perhaps…means a little bit more!”
My husband and I, huddled alongside about half a dozen children from our church who had climbed all over us and onto our laps, enjoyed the most beautiful Christmas production tonight! We invited our entire church to join us as we went to a neighboring church to support their ministry. Wow! What a wonderful time we had!
The pinnacle of the program to me was the nativity scene. For the children who were with us, they enjoyed this because of all the live animals. Every time a donkey, sheep, or even a camel walked past, they gasped with delight. They especially loved it when the volunteers with shovels and buckets came around to clean up behind these animals. There is nothing quite like animal poo to bring out the giggles in these kiddos!
My experience was quite different, of course. While carols were sung and Scriptures were quoted, I felt a shiver of Christmas excitement flow through me. Feeling the squirming of the children on my lap and listening to them giggle at the animals added to the fun. However, once the entire cast had arrived to their places at the stable, the choir segued into a powerful worship song. People began jumping to their feet with hands raised to worship God. The atmosphere was electric with the presence of the Lord! My heart thrilled at the spontaneous worship that was occurring, and I felt consumed with inexplicable joy! Now, that was the most wonderful moment of the entire evening!
I couldn’t help but worship God myself! I needed to express the joy I felt in His presence. I began speaking praise to Him. Suddenly, nothing else mattered. The friend who almost lost his life in an accident, the dear coworker who has been battling cancer this year, the one who has experienced financial devastation, and the friend who is facing the potential break up of her marriage, all seemed so fade in the background at the magnificence of God Almighty! Joy became the all-consuming emotion at that moment, and praise became the only possible response.
Suddenly, I understood how it is possible to be full of joy even in the face of sorrow. We all go through difficulties in this life, and we all face times of grief and sadness. However, once we experience a dose of the presence of the Spirit of the Living God, everything else falls to the wayside. In His presence, our joy is complete. Those who do not know God cannot understand this joy. The world cannot supply true joy, and it can also never take it away if we don’t allow it. God is the only source. Every one of us can know Him, and every one of us can experience this joy.
If you are having a difficult time finding joy in your life right now, the presence of the Lord is your answer. Rejoice that Your Savior has come. He can minister to whatever you need.
I thought I’d share a quick synopsis of the chapters we read this week because they were so enlightening this week.
Chapter 7
As we read in the first chapter of Matthew of the Wise Men searching for Jesus, we discover three distinct moments of God’s direction that we may also apply to our own lives. First, the star led them to Jerusalem. Similarly, we can see signs of God’s existence throughout creation if we are willing to notice the signs He provides. From the camouflaged chameleon, to the water cycle with clouds, oceans, and precipitation, to the enormity of the sun, moon, and stars, we simply cannot ignore the aspects of creation that speak of God’s creative genius.
Secondly, once the Wise Men arrived in Jerusalem, it was Scripture, or prophesy, that led them more specifically where to go. God’s Word was clear that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, so Bethlehem they went. As with us, we must search Scripture if we want to truly know and follow God. This is how we understand who He is and what is His will.
Lastly, they were led by God another route to go home. Once we allow our hearts to receive the signs God gives, and we search God’s Word for His answers, He will certainly lead us. We can count on it!
Many people see the signs that point to The Messiah, but not all choose to engage their hearts. They miss an encounter with the Living God in their lives. Let that not be us this Christmas! As the Wise Men worshiped Jesus and presented Him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, let us give Him the gift He most desires from us – our hearts.
Chapter 8
Interestingly, King Herod had received the very same signs that the Wise Men did, but his outcome was considerably different. King Herod had seen the star and had heard the prophesies, yet he chose to harden his heart. What was it that hindered his path to God?
It was none other than the monster of pride. As Max Lucado says in this chapter, “The path marked Pride will lead you over a cliff. The path marked Humility will take you to the manger of the Messiah.”
How interesting it was to see the parallels, yet also the polar opposite reactions, simply from the one difference, pride over humility.
We learned that pride hurts people. Pride comes at an awfully high price, and it is never worth it. Pride blinds us from the truth. Worst of all, the Bible says that God hates arrogance, and haughtiness comes before a fall.
On the other hand, honor is given to the humble. The Bible also says that God gives wisdom, direction, and grace to the humble. Humility is the key!
So, if you are having difficulty finding Jesus, or you have friction in your relationships or life, it might be time for a pride check. Perhaps a dose of humility is the very thing that will allow you to engage your heart and find the Spirit of Christmas again.
Chapter 9
Christmas is a season to be full of anticipation, and a blessing awaits those who seek Him. From the story of Simeon as he awaited the coming of the Messiah, we learn aspects of his character and heart that also build excitement within us as we await the second Advent of Christ.
There must be more to this present life than what we are going through. We need something to look forward to. We have a longing within us for redemption and the fulfillment of the promises of Christ’s return. As Max Lucado states so cutely, “Tis the season to be looking not for a jolly man in a red suit, but for a grand king on a white horse.”
The following quote sums up what our attitude must be toward our lives in light of the second coming of Christ. “If you knew Jesus was coming tomorrow, what would you do today? Then do it! Live in such a way that you would not have to change your plans.” What an awesome way to live!
What sweet anticipation as well! The answer to all of life’s suffering and difficulty is in the fulfillment of Christ’s imminent return. This is something to look forward to! Have you made yourself ready? Christmas is the perfect time to prepare our hearts for His return.
Here is this week’s info:
Reading Schedule
December 12-18:
• Read chapters 10-12 and pp. 175-185 of the Advent portion
• Small groups to discuss chapters 7-9 and week 3 of Advent
December 19-23
• Read pp. 187-194 to complete the Advent portion
• Small groups to discuss chapters 10-12 and week 4 of Advent
Discussion Questions
Here is a sneak peek of the questions we will be discussing this week in our small groups.
Appetizer Question:
If you attend a Christmas dinner or party, what are some foods, desserts, or drinks that you simply must have?
Main Course:
1. In chapters 7 and 8, we learn that both The Wise Men and King Herod saw the same signs and heard the same prophesies about the coming of Christ, yet they each had very different responses. Similarly today, the evidence of God’s presence is everywhere in creation, and the Word of God gives us all we need to get to know God. So, what is the difference? Why do some people find Christ like the Wise Men, and why do some end up like the evil King Herod who rejected Christ and died a miserable, lonely, old man?
2. If you knew Jesus was coming tomorrow, what would you do today? How different would your life be?
3. What are some of the false things in this world that people often turn to for joy that leaves them feeling empty and unsatisfied?
4. “The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.” Psalm 126:3 NIV
What are some great things God has done for you that fill you with great joy?
5. Max describes any unwelcome intrusion in your life as an interruption. How can you cope with life’s interruptions and yet still be full of joy?
6. If you see someone experiencing a turbulent time in their life this season, what are some things we can do to increase their joy?
Dessert:
Do you have a Christmas memory or tradition that makes you laugh?
How This Works
• Purchase the book and follow the reading schedule above.
• Watch the video: Max Lucado’s video and devotion for week 3 is free at Faithgateway.com. Week 4 will be available next week. I am so excited that these are provided for FREE!
• Optional sermons: Max Lucado’s sermon series, “Because of Bethlehem,” is also available on YouTube. Here is week 4.
• Optional coloring book: Just for fun, why not purchase the coloring book too?
• Subscribe to this site, if you haven’t already, to receive future updates by email. Enter your email address to the right and click the subscribe button.
• Join our Facebook group, Heart to Heart Women’s Bible Study, for daily interaction, activities, videos, and small group sessions. This is a closed group, and no one will be able to see our posts unless they are members of the group. This is for your safety and privacy.
• Small Groups: We will have photos posted in our Facebook group to mark the location of each small group meeting. You are welcome to attend any group you wish. There is no registration.
• Small Group Schedule:
• Follow my ministry page on Facebook, Shari Lewis Ministries, to stay up-to-date on ministry events and for daily prayers, nuggets of wisdom and encouragement for your life, photos that you are welcome to share, and faith building blog posts to strengthen your walk with Christ.
Merry Christmas! Have a blessed week!
