Journal Entry ~ 12/25/17

1 Oh come, let us sing to the LORD; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! 2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!  - Psalm 95:1-2

On this beautiful Christmas morning, we have so many reasons to worship our King. He came down to be with us as a baby. I was reminded of a CS Lewis quote this morning: God descends to re-ascend. He comes down; down from the heights of absolute being into time and space, down into humanity ... down to the very roots and sea-bed of the nature He has created. But He goes down to come up again and bring the ruined world up with Him.

The gifts we have been given in that tiny baby are far greater than anything under our tree this morning - anything we can give, anything we can receive. He is our our only true Christmas gift, He should be the reason we race from our beds to the foot of the tree this morning, He should be the reason we embrace our family and friends, He should be the reason we prepare the meal.  His gift to us is the reason we worship. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.—Isaiah 9:6.  

Everlasting Father - for many of us, everlasting father conjures is deeper feelings than Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, or Prince of Peace because we all have experiences with our own fathers. Regardless of the relationship you had with your earthly father, we all long to be loved by a father. The unconditional love and acceptance given by a father is something every heart seeks - we were designed with that longing in our hearts to drive us to Him. The problem is many of us seek that love and approval from an earthly figure, and they are simply not capable of filling that void. Many people define their relationship with God the Father by their own father experience, but He is nothing like our own fathers. He is everlasting - His love and devotion to us is never ending. It isn’t conditional on our performance, we don’t need to seek His approval. No matter what we do, He will be our Father, loving us and standing strong to protect us as His child. His eyes are always on you, He holds you in the palm of His hands, He is always thinking of you. We worship Him because He is our Everlasting Father. 

For me, Prince of Peace is the greatest gift. In a world marked by conflict, in a heart troubled with anxiety, God became my Prince of Peace when I accepted Him so many years ago. He offers us to be at peace with God - our sins have all been forgiven when we accept Jesus as our Savior. He sees Jesus in our place, and there is peace in our relationship with Him. We also have been given the peace from God. As we grow in our relationship with Christ, the peace of God impacts every decision, response, and relationship in our lives. When we have the peace from God living in our hearts, we can respond with His love in the face of adversity, and we can see Him at work in the lives of those who come into contact with us. Finally, We can know the peace of God. Despite what I may be facing, regardless of the trouble I may be enduring, God has given me the gift of a the peace that surpasses all understanding. Because I know that He is sovereign over my life, and because I trust that He is working all things in my life for good, I can rest in the knowledge there is a plan and He is at work. His gift of peace in our lives should drive us to worship. 

As I sit here in the quiet of Christmas morning, I am so incredibly thankful for the unspeakable gifts He has given me this year. We love a God who wants to give us such beautiful gifts, who sent His love to us as a baby all so we can know and receive His gifts to us. My heart cannot help but worship the King. Merry Christmas, everyone!


Press on ~ you are loved 💗

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