From You ...

“But as for (A)you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,

Too little to be among the clans of Judah,

From (B)you One will go forth for Me to be (C)ruler in Israel.

His goings forth are (D)from long ago,

From the days of eternity.”

3 

Therefore He will (E)give them up until the time

When she (F)who is in labor has borne a child.

Then the (G)remainder of His brethren

Will return to the sons of Israel.

4 

And He will arise and (H)shepherd His flock

In the strength of the Lord,

In the majesty of the name of the Lord His God.

And they will remain,

Because at that time He will be great

To the ends of the earth.

Micah 5:2-4

Have you ever felt insignificant, as if you really didn't matter?  If so, consider Bethlehem.  At the time of Jesus' birth, that town was a "nobody".  The Message translation calls Bethlehem "the runt of the litter."  We all have a town like that in our home county; perhaps you live in it!  However, Jesus had to be born in Bethlehem in order to fulfill this prophecy.  And, there had to be a census held at that time by the Roman government, in order to get Mary and Joseph (who did not live there) to that "city of David" in time for Jesus to be born.

I'm from a tiny, little town in north GA.   Yet, my daddy, who did not have a college education became a leader on the national level, in his profession.  It's not an uncommon story: how someone from "Nowhere" was raised up by God to do marvelous things.

Some of you are shaking your heads.  "Not me, not anymore."  If that is you, then you have swallowed one of Satan's biggest lies.

No action, nor person, is insignificant to God.  Every word we speak, every decision we make, every action we take - - - they all have meaning.  WE have meaning and a purpose, each and every one of us. When you start to feel down, worthless, used up, worn out, finished....remember that.  God's purposes for each of us extend past this life, through all eternity.  He is not finished with us until we take our last breath here, and then He has plans for us in eternity with Him.

It is not up to us to judge how God chooses to work in our lives.  We do not have the right to judge whether what He chooses to do is "great" or "small". It is merely our responsibility make ourselves available, to obediently present ourselves.  Christmas is all about "presents", is it not?  Then, may this, our sacrificed will, our submission, our "letting go" - - - may this be our gift to Him this Christmas.

"From you", God said of Bethlehem, that little, old bitty town! Just like He made His glorious Name known in Bethlehem, God can still use you; He can still use me, if we will let Him.  Open your heart to Him this Advent season.  Allow Him to advance His kingdom by bringing forth glorious things "from you".

Gracious Father, thank you for not forcing Yourself on me, but instead giving me the opportunity to choose You.  I pray that those who read this - - - those who have already chosen You - - - will not buy the enemy's lie, namely, that they are insignificant or no longer matter.  And, for those who are not sure or even think this is all a farce - - - I pray that You will reveal Yourself to them in a mighty way, in a way that will let them know unmistakably that You are God, the One and Only, and that You.Love.Them!  In Jesus' name, amen.

Numbering My Days and Making Them Count

I have been reading in the beautiful Psalm 90 this morning because The Lord had brought verse 12 to my mind and heart.  Let's deconstruct this psalm together.

Lord, You have been our dwelling place[a] in all generations.
2 Before the mountains were brought forth,
Or ever You had formed the earth and the world,
Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.

3 You turn man to destruction,
And say, “Return, O children of men.”
4 For a thousand years in Your sight
Are like yesterday when it is past,
And like a watch in the night.

12 12       So teach us to number our days,
           That we may gain a heart of wisdom.

The psalmist begins by affirming that for generation after generation of man, He has been "our dwelling place".  In other words, He has been the home of His faithful ones.

Next, the psalmist realizes that, even before we were created or anything else was created by God, He was and is and will be, from "everlasting to everlasting" the Supreme GOD.

I don't know about you, but that gives me blessing and comfort, to reflect on how our God is THE God of all gods.  Time has no relevance to Him (vs. 4)

The psalmist goes on to talk about how mankind is bound by time, how our lifespan is about 70 years here on the earth and that a lot of that time is spent in frivolous pursuits ("iniquity" in one version).

Then, the psalmist prays, "Teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts to wisdom."

What good is a long life, if it is lived chasing dreams that are worthless?  You may feel that your life has been like that.  Perhaps the psalmist felt that he had wasted some of his life in such a manner.  I know that I have wasted some of my precious time here "on this mortal plane".

Most commentators and Bible scholars believe that this psalm is very old, that it was written, in fact, by Moses, while the Israelites were wandering for 40 years in the desert because they had refused to trust and obey God.  Don't you know that there were times when Moses felt like giving up on this rebellious people He was called lead?  Times when he wondered if the next day really mattered?

But, here is the good news:  despite the past, regardless of how many birthdays you or I have left, we can still learn from Father how to spend the remainder of our days "applying our hearts to wisdom."  The New American Standard Version puts it like this:  "so that I may present to you a heart of wisdom".

This implies conscious thought and act, Friends, a deliberate act of the will.  It reflects an earnest desire to please GOD by, when we see Him face-to-face, falling down on our face before Him and presenting to Him our lives of service.

In the New Testament, Jesus talks about in Luke 9:23 how we are to deny ourselves (our selfish nature) and "take up our cross daily" as we seek to follow in His footsteps.  Again, taking up that cross daily is a conscious decision that we must make in order to gain wisdom.

Dear Lord Jesus, for the time that I have left, I choose You.  I choose wisdom.  Teach me how to make each day count for You and the furtherance of Your kingdom.  Father, may Your kingdom come and Your will be done on earth, and in my life, as it is in Heaven.  Satisfy me in the morning with Your lovingkindness that I may sing for joy and be glad all my days.  Let Your work appear to me and Your majesty to my children. May Your favor, my God, be upon me.  Please establish the work of my hands; yes, confirm the work of my hands, for Your honor and glory!  I love you, LORD!