Glory

Please don't miss the You Tube video "Glory in the Highest" by Chris Tomlin also posted today.  You could even hit the home button at the top of the page and listen to it while you read Luke Chapter 2:1-20.

Luke Chapter 2 is the Christmas story we have read for years with our children every Christmas morning.  I never tire of hearing it and am always brought to tears when I think of the King of Glory giving up His heavenly crown to come down here to earth for me.  Now I know I'm not special...but He thinks I am!  This is the great dichotomy of the Kingdom of God.  All my righteousness is but filthy rags and yet He, the Lord of all creation, cares about me, so much so that He was willing to suffer and die that I might live.  He has done this for you, too.  He cares about you.  He loves you.  No matter what you've done or where you've been, what you've been through or who you've hurt, He came to give you a new and different life.  He came to seek and save that which was lost.  "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." Luke 19:10 (KJV)

 Luke 2

The Birth of Jesus
 ¹In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. ²(This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) ³And everyone went to his own town to register.  ⁴So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. ⁵He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. ⁶While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, ⁷and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

The Shepherds and the Angels

 ⁸And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. ¹¹Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. ¹²This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."  ¹³Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
 ¹⁴"Glory to God in the highest,
      and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."
 ¹⁵When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."
 ¹⁶So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. ¹⁷When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, ¹⁸and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. ¹⁹But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

 "Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done.  Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice."  1 Chronicles 16:8-10 (NIV)

Dear Lord,  Thank you that You love us so much that You were willing to send Your precious Son, Jesus, so that we might have everlasting life.  Let our lives bring You glory.

Artwork courtesy of Photobucket.com.

Our Good, His Glory

God has two purposes in His plan, our good and His glory. We need never think that He does not know what we are going through. He does! He himself experienced life in human flesh. John 11:22 says, "When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled." (NIV)

"And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth." John 1:14 (NASB)

"Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." Philippians 2:5-8 (NASB)

God is at work in this world, and His plan is to make us into His image. We don't need to be discouraged that things aren't working out the way we want them to. We can trust that God's plan is for our good and for His glory, even if we can't understand it right now. He will be with us on the journey. And when we have been transformed into His image, all glory and honor and power are His. I am thankful that He chooses to share this with us!

"And the glory which Thou hast given Me I have given to them; that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, that the world may know that Thou didst send Me, and didst love them, even as Thou didst love Me." John 17:22-23

"But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. And it was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ." 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14 (NASB)

Consider the story of Joseph. Things never looked like they were for his good, but Joseph just kept putting one foot in front of the other, moving forward in God's direction, trying to do His will. When Joseph's brothers sold him into slavery (Genesis 37:27-28), he ended up in Egypt. Joseph had dreams and interpreted dreams, eventually finding his way into the house of Pharaoh being second in charge in all the land. Because Joseph put God first in all things, he was crowned with success, but not to bring glory to Joseph. Joseph was part of God's plan to protect His people from the famine that had entered the land. God's plan was bigger than the circumstances and Joseph knew that he was exactly where God wanted him to be.

So Joseph told his brothers when they came to Egypt to ask for food and realized that their brother was in charge, "Do not be afraid, for am I in God's place? And as for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive. So therefore, do not be afraid." Genesis 50:19-21 (NASB)

We also can be assured that if we are seeking Him and putting Him first in all things and loving him with all of our heart, and soul, and mind, and strength, He will accomplish His purposes in us. He will accomplish them even when we don't see how He could possibly do it.

^"And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren." Romans 8:28-29 (NASB)

Dear Lord, If I could just trust your plan for my life, I would walk in Your peace continually. Please help me to trust You with everything knowing that You have me exactly where You want me to be.