Christmas Focus

It's Christmas, and althought there is a great deal of hype and commercialism attached to this season, I want to encourage you to look past the glitz and into the truth of Jesus. His birth is marked by Old Testament prophecies, New Testament realities, and life lessons that are as applicable today as they were then. I love to study the events leading up to the Birth and I marvel at the character of the common people God chose to work through.

Luke 1:39 - 45 is an example of many powerful lessons. Here we find pregnant Elizabeth, old and well past child-bearing age, greeting Mary, her teenager cousin who is also pregnant. Elizabeth had believed a Word spoken to her by an angel many years ago, and finally saw the fulfillment of the promise when she thought the possibility was, well, impossible!

Lesson #1: Never give up. If God promises you something, stand on it. Write it down and review it often. He is faithful in His time to complete what He said He would do.

And let's not forget Mary. She was engaged, still a virgin, and so young! Many scholars put her at around age 12 or 13 without the advantage of education, modern medicine, and all the knowledge of science that we have. She must have been a bit frightened with the changes in her body and the feelings she was experiencing...not to mention the fact that as an unwed mother she could have been stoned! Nevertheless, like Elizabeth, she also was visited by an angel, but unlike having to endure a long wait, her promise happened immediately. She simply said "May it be to me as you have said." In other words, she said "yes".

Lesson #2: How God works with one person isn't necessarily how He will work with another. He is God, and His ways are His ways. We simply say "Yes" and trust Him.

As I marvel at these two strong women with such different personalities, it's verse 45 that wraps it all up for me: "Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!" This is a promise for us today. We are "blessed" when we choose to believe that God is faithful to His word. It will be accomplished...perhaps not when we think it should, but He will accomplish His word in His time. It's all defined by Lesson #3:

Lesson #3: Focus On Him! When we keep our eyes on the goal (His promises), we can trust that He will do what He's said regardless of circumstances or the seasons we are seeing around us.

What has God promised you? What words has He whispered to your heart? Have you let them drop to the ground or are you still standing, believing, and focusing on His faithfulness?
Remember and say like Elizabeth: "Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!"

Stay Focused On Him!
Ann