Bruce

Swaffield

The recent events in Paris make us keenly aware of the evil that threatens not only our very lives, but our souls as well.  When tragedy strikes we turn to God for strength, understanding and hope. What we need to do, above all, is to remember these words from the hymn “My Hope is Built on Nothing Less” by Edward Mote:  “When darkness veils His lovely face, I rest on his unchanging grace.”
 
We cannot allow the darkness of this world, however evil and sinister it may be, to keep us from seeing the true light of the world. Far beyond the deaths and injuries of hundreds of persons, there is hope. Hope for those who have perished. Hope for those who are in critical condition. Hope for those who need healing and consolation. Hope for those of us who want peace.  Even hope for people who right now want revenge and retaliation.
 
Naturally, we ask where was God was on that horrific and dark night in Paris, fondly known as the City of Lights. Why didn’t he prevent the senseless murders and injuries? Why didn’t he intercede and stop the assassins and suicide bombers? Why did he let evil triumph?    
 
But that is where we are wrong. Evil did not win, for we know that God has the last and final word in all things. We know, too, that God always is the victor. He proclaimed it more than 2,000 years ago when his son was murdered on a cross. No doubt Mary, Martha, John and dozens of others were asking the same questions we ask today:  “Where was God?” “Why didn’t he do something?”
 
He did! He raised Jesus from the dead and gave salvation to people through the ages and throughout the world. God’s “unchanging grace” was sure and steady then just as it is today.  Since the time of Adam and Eve, he promised that a savior would one day be born to bring light and forgiveness to all who would believe. In his Concise Commentary of the Book of John, Matthew Henry said that “Christ is the Light of the world. God is light, and Christ is the image of the invisible God. One sun enlightens the whole world; so does one Christ, and there needs no more. What a dark dungeon would the world be without the sun! So would it be without Jesus, by whom light came into the world” (

In the joyful celebration of Christmas, there is a certain note of sadness that echoes throughout the ages: Jesus was born to die. His birth brings hope and promise. Yet, it is his death that makes possible our salvation.

Most all of the great Renaissance paintings of Madonna and child reflect the reality of Jesus’ life. The loving eyes of Mary look down at the newborn child with happiness and sorrow. She is full of delight and wonder. But her tears of bliss are mingled with mourning, for she knows what he must do. She realizes what his birth means. He must also suffer death.

In the background of the manger scene is the cross, already waiting. All too soon it will hold the body of this tiny, innocent child. All too soon his life on earth will end. He will take the sins of the world with him into death and rise victorious.

We have much to be thankful for this Christmas as we remember our Savior’s birth 2,000 years ago. Not only did He come down to earth, but He also allowed Himself to be tortured and crucified – all for our sake. He now looks down on us from His heavenly throne, with Gis heart full of compassion, and says, “I did all this because I love you.”

There was nothing loud or flashy about His birth. Jesus was born in a lonely, dark stable among animals and nearby shepherds. The world barely knew about this event that would change all time and life. There were no colored lights, no Christmas carols, no Santas, no snow and no presents, except the most important gift of all.

What God did on that night is beyond comprehension. Through His Son, He came to earth to reveal what could not be seen by the naked eye, what could not be understood through the rational mind. He showed the world a hope that could be experienced only through the heart by the power of His love and grace.

Behind the tinsel and trees is a light that shines brighter than all of the others. Sadly, many will not see it because they are caught up in all of the decorations and displays. They will not truly realize what they are doing when they give presents to loved ones. Their simple act of love is re-presenting the greatest act of love the world has ever known.

The words of

Who we are in the world is much less important than who we are in God. In fact, our place and our position do not matter at all as long as we are doing the work the Lord has called us to do. The problem comes when we try to please coworkers, friends and acquaintances more than God.

People everywhere, even well-meaning Christians, have a way of accepting or rejecting us based on what they see and think. They look at us through their eyes and perspective, not through the pure heart of God. At times, we do the same of others, too. We judge someone from what we have heard, what we have experienced and what we feel – even though we know all of these can easily deceive us.

Jesus knew well the trappings of our own temptations and sins. As a human, he faced the same emotions and situations. Yet, he was able to overcome his physical humanness and be guided completely by the spirit.

We can never go wrong when we follow the Holy Spirit. In God is where we find our true validation and worth. We cannot allow anything, even our own thoughts or hurts, to separate us from the Father. We need to forgive those who try to judge us, accept those who try to reject us and love those who try to ignore us. Jesus taught us what to do in each circumstance. He is the example. We are his followers. 

There is a choice we make each morning: whether to follow God gently into a new day or to be jolted awake by our hectic thoughts and schedule. From the time we open our eyes, the world comes racing toward us with problems, concerns, anxieties and fears. But God offers us peace, comfort, strength and faith. Which one we choose determines what will happen during the next 15 or 16 hours, until evening falls and we rest again.

You and I need to work at letting God guide us as we take our first tentative steps into another day. Our hearts and minds must be listening to him, looking to him and walking toward him. We must actively seek him, doing whatever we can to push aside the sounds that call to us from everyday living.

Taking time with God every morning requires practice and discipline. There are dozens of things that try to pull us away and distract us – most of all time itself. The argument we hear most often in our heads is that we do not have time for prayer and meditation; we must get to work or school; we have an appointment; we cannot be late. We fool ourselves into believing we will set aside time later in the day to spend with God. In the meantime, who knows where we will be or what may happen.

Being with God at the beginning of each day lets us see his path and plan. He can give us the calm and order we are seeking in our lives. He sends us off in the right direction because he knows what is waiting for us just ahead. Trusting him means taking time with him to set our course on his will for the day. Better we follow him than our unpredictable thoughts, emotions and plans.

Just before the start of a new year, we make one resolution after another. We set ourselves to lose weight, to exercise more, to eat healthier, and maybe even to spend less time working. All of these intentions are commendable, but what about our commitment to the Lord? How can we seek to serve him better in the weeks and months ahead?

The first step we must take is to become more determined, more resolute, to follow his will. We need to think less of what we want and focus wholly on what God has planned for us in the year ahead. The apostle James warned about making decisions based on personal desires and wishes: