Hey, y'all! (I say in my best Paula Deen voice.) Merry Christmas!! Don't you just love this time of year? It's funny. Every year I start missing Christmas even before it's here--especially the music. haha! I could listen to Christmas music all year and never get tired of it. Sometimes I set my Pandora station to Bing Crosby in July and just enjoy it. :)
Another great thing about Christmas? Jesus. Sad that it's gotten to the point of saying that He's just "another" aspect of Christmas. Isn't He Christmas itself? Not if you ask the media. The point of Christmas to our world stops with family, fireplaces and more cookie recipes than you can shake a stick at. (To a habitual baker, though, that's definitely a perk.) :)
I read a devotion today about familiar Scripture verses and how we tend to dismiss them. Ones like John 3:16, Philippians 4:13, Proverbs 3:5-6, etc. We hear them so much that they become cliche. But the whole reason they're so familiar is because they are powerful and true!! John 3:16 says that God sent His Son to bring anyone who believes in Him eternal life. Wow! That's true and powerful!
Philippians 4:13 says that we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength. WOW! What a promise! We are empowered by the Savior of the world to do whatever He sets before us. No excuse of "I can't" in His economy. That's awesome!!
Proverbs 3:5-6 says that we are to trust in the Lord and lean not on our own understanding. If we look to Him in all things, He will make our paths straight. LOVE it! What kind of peace that can bring if we take the time to let that sink in!
It's so funny how we dismiss cliches. Why? More often than not, they're cliche for a reason: because there is truth in them! You know what? The grass does always seem greener on the other side of the fence. You really can't make a horse drink even if you lead him to water. And, to my knowledge, there is no such thing as a tree that grows money.
Cliches have gotten a bad rap. Especially when they are snippits of the Word of God. Those, most certainly, have no place being skimmed, skipped or allowed to become stale. Even if we've read them a thousand times and heard them even more, they are still part of the LIVING and ACTIVE Bible. One that, according to 2 Timothy 3:16, is entirely God-breathed and useful. Every word.
Yes, it's Christmas again. And, yes, you might hear the Christmas story again whether you read it or just hear it from Linus as you watch A Charlie Brown Christmas. Either way, don't let it go in one ear and out the other (haha! True cliche!!). Let it sink in and serve the purpose that it was indended to serve. Let it remind you that you have a God who loves you enough to become flesh, and live to die for you. Wow. Now, that's true and powerful.
Big hugs!
- Jill
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