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Nourish your soul

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At last year’s Worldwide Convention in Bangor, Sue Trenier spoke about her work as a missionary in Papua.For 25 yrs she had worked translating the Bible for the Hupla people.She showed a video of the great celebration on the day this tribal people received the completed translation of God’s Word.

There was dancing & feasting & drums. And tears of joy. Overwhelming joy & uncontrollable delight at having God’s Word in their own heart language.

My eyes brimmed.When was the last time I had expressed uncontainable joy about God’s Word?

There were also tears as Sue recounted going into a Christian Bookshop here & seeing the Bible in so many translations while it’s estimated that 1.5 billion people are still waiting for the Bible in their own language.

The Bible is a truly precious book:
‘The words of the Bible are the very words of God our Creator speaking to us. They are completely truthful; they are pure; they are powerful; and they are wise and righteous. We should read these words with reverence and awe, and with joy and delight.Through these words God gives us eternal life, and daily nourishes our spiritual lives.
(Preface to Daily Devotional New Testament)

I needed to read that again to let the truth sink in.

I have the very Word of God in several translations in my bedroom- yet how often I do not see this as the Treasure that it is! Being honest, I often choose to read Facebook newsfeeds or emails instead.

Yet,God has given us this amazing life-changing gift for our spiritual transformation & health.

In my New Year mindset I’m determined to get healthier & run more. My ASICS trainers are already pounding pavements & trails.

The brand ASICS is an acronym for the phrase ‘anima sana in corpore sano’ It means a ‘healthy soul in a healthy body’

That sounds like idyllic perfection! But it’s not a new concept. In the New Testament John wrote:
‘I pray that you may prosper in every way and that your body may keep well, even as I know your soul keeps well and prospers’ (3 John 3-AMP)

CS Lewis said,‘You don’t have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body’

Our bodies are our outer wrapping- our souls are the very essence of our being.

Just as we look after our bodies, we need to feed our souls.

How do we nourish our souls?

Psalm 1 mentions those ‘whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on His law day and night’ (v2)

‘That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—
whatever they do prospers.’(v3)

What a lovely picture of vitality!

If we nourish our souls, our whole lives will flourish from the core of who we are, from who we were created to be!

We need to ‘delight’ in God’s Word- to soak in His truth & replenish our spiritual energy.

Jesus said in John 15, “Remain in Me” or “Abide in me” –like the vine & its branches. Staying close to God is the key to a healthy soul.

Close to Him, our soul flourishes & we are vibrant & fruitful.
Apart from Him, we can do nothing- like a dry twig- separate from the main plant.

We can make our own individual choices for a healthy body, but a healthy soul comes from abiding in Him & finding true rest there.

‘Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness.’
‭‭(1 Peter‬ ‭2:2-3‬ ‭NLT‬‬)

How often I’m content with ‘junk food’ (eg reading Christian books or blogposts)rather than ‘pure milk’ of God’s Word itself. I am distracted.

‘We can become so unfocused in life that we get lost in the unforgiving wheel of daily tasks & fail to listen to the voice of Christ. We fail to pray/fail to see him as intently listening & drawing near to us. God feels distant because we are distracted. Yet he seeks us’ (Reinke)

God wants to meet with us & shape us .

He wants us to truly be there {undistracted} when we read & enjoy spending time with the Author

Whatever plan or devotional we’re using this year, God wants us to slow down enough to hear Him speak into our lives,to allow Him to minister to our soul.

Spending time with God & His Word can have eternal impact on our daily lives.

‘By your words I can see where I’m going; they throw a beam of light on my dark path. I’ve committed myself and I’ll never turn back from living by your righteous order. Everything’s falling apart on me, GOD; put me together again with your Word.’
‭‭(Psalm‬ ‭119:105-106 MSG‬‬)

‘Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us.’
‭‭(2 Timothy‬ ‭3:14-17‬ ‭MSG‬‬)

Blessings,

Ruth x

PS

I found these posts helpful {though I know there’s no substitute for just reading the Word!}

What God can do in our daily devotions

Deep Bible Reading Strategies for the tired & busy

Why I stopped reading the Bible alone

Why you need a ‘ Plan Be’ for your Bible reading this year

Twinkle

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I’ve been thinking about this verse recently:

‘For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.’ (2 Corinthians 4:6 ESV)

Let the amazing truth of this verse sink in:

God the Creator of light,
the Father of lights ( James1:17)
who spoke light into being
has sent His Son to be the Light of the world (John 8:12)
But also, He has shone His light into our hearts
that we might reflect Him.

The light-creating power of God is within us!

The God who created light, the sun, the moon & the stars has shone His light into us! The God who created the stars wants us to shine like them!

‘Shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life’
(Phil 2:15,16 NIV)

I asked Google, ‘What makes stars shine?’ The astro-physics baffled me, but basically it’s enormous energy from within!

So, if we are shining like the stars, it’s the light creating power of God is within us! It’s not really us that shines-it’s Him through us!

A few verses later Paul writes:
‘But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.’ ( 2 Corinthians 4:7 ESV)

It’s the powerful Light of the world in us that makes us shine! We can’t all be supernovas or shooting stars, lighting up the entire night sky in a blaze of glory! But we are to twinkle where we are at.

The old hymn simply states:

‘Jesus bids us shine…
You in your small corner
And I in mine’

It doesn’t matter much where your small corner to shine is located- whether it’s in an office, a hospital, a classroom, a shopping centre, a youth centre, or even & especially at home.

Jesus bids us shine.

We don’t need to compare ourselves to the superstar next door. We don’t need to wish (upon a star!) that we were in a different part of the sky-maybe closer to the Plough, or the North Star-where our twinkling might be admired by many more. For the God who determines the number of stars & calls them by name (Psalm 147:4, Isa 40:26), sees us shining where we are at. We always have the audience of One-the only One whose opinion matters

You are where you are at, not by mistake, or mishap-but by design, the ultimate Grand Design. Just as the stars shine in specific places in the night sky to form constellations, God has specifically placed us where He has chosen in time & space:

‘From one man He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; & He determined the times set for them & the exact places they should live. God did this so that men would seek Him & perhaps reach out for Him & find Him, though He is not far from each one of us’ (Acts 17:26,27)

God has placed you where you are at, at this moment, for such a time as this, to shine. Your location & position in life is unique.

‘You are where you are for such a time as this- not to make an impression but to make a difference’ (Ann Voskamp)

What difference can we make?

The difference between darkness & light, night & day- all the difference in this world, & the next!

‘Go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society. Provide people with a glimpse of good living and of the living God. Carry the light-giving Message into the night’ Philippians 2:14-16 (MSG)

Jesus said: “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
(Matthew‬ ‭5:14-16‬ ‭NIV‬‬)

‘You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colours in the world’ (Matt 5:14 MSG)

We are to be a rainbow of multicolour against the blackness of our sin-ravaged world.

So, ‘Don’t shine so others can see you. Shine so that through you others can see Him’ (C S Lewis)

Blessings,

Ruthx

Be!

curlysue028

Rather than New Year Resolutions, I like to assign a word for the year.

Last year my word was Run, & I wrote Run your race

This year my word is ‘Be’:

Be yourself

‘Be who you were created to be’

‘Be who your family needs you to be’

Be the change

Be brave

Be real

Be authentic

Be present

Be a blessing

Be the gift

Be the light

I want ponder on these truths & more in 2018 & beyond!

I love this quote:

‘You can be much more for God than you ever know, by just being yourself & relying on Him. Keep praying & playing & being yourself’
(O Chambers)

What’s your word for the year? Get some inspiration from Oneword365

Blessings,

Ruth x

Run YOUR race

curlysue028

Originally posted July 2017

This year my word for the year is Run – literally & metaphorically!

In the past week, despite the craziness of work I’ve ran 3 firsts:

Last Saturday I ran Ireland’s flattest half marathon at Clontarf for the first time. It was flat but the vital detail of 4 miles running on beach was omitted ! I didn’t get a PB but almost (Those who know me best will know I am disappointed with 2:02) Maybe next time!

It’s the first HM that I’ve been given doughnuts after – & they measured the distance in km rather than miles just to confuse me!

On 4th July I ran my first virtual race- 7km at 7 am for Tribe #run for love for human trafficking. I know I am truly an upholder as per Gretchen Rubin’ s four tendencies. I completed it in pouring rain through huge puddles with soaking feet ( & absolutely no one was watching-thankfully!)

On Friday I ran the Round the Springs 10k at Greyabbey. It cleared my head for sure – & there’s a vey unflattering photo of me on their Facebook page to prove I did it!

I’m not going to break any records or reach the podium!

I run so I can keep calm & carry on

I run so I can eat more chocolate!

I’m not expecting to run an ultra run or 100m sprint anytime soon.

But I run my race

As I’ve been pounding the pavements, I’ve been thinking about ‘Run your race’

With emphasis on your:

Run YOUR race

I first read this phrase on Claire Ortiz-Diaz’s blog

The phrase appears in the New Testament:

‘Do you not know that in a race all the runners run [their very best to win], but only one receives the prize? Run [your race] in such a way that you may seize the prize and make it yours!’
(‭‭1 Corinthians 9:24‬ ‭AMP‬‬)

We need to run our race not others. We can’t compare our race to others & we don’t have to run like them- we just need to run the best we can with the ability we’ve been given

We need to focus on where we are at, our stage & season of life, and :

‘Run the mile you are in’
(David Willey)

‘Run your race. Do your work, not someone else’s. Don’t allow envy, spite, ego, or greed to derail you.’
(Todd Henry – Accidental Creative)

We need to get rid of any thing that hinders our race, holds us back or distracts us.

‘Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.’
(‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭12:1&2 NIV‬‬)

‘You were running superbly! Who cut in on you, deflecting you from the true course of obedience?’
(‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5:7MSG‬‬)

We need to focus on Jesus who began & finished our race. He is like a pacer guiding us through the race:

‘To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.’
(‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭2:21‬ ‭NIV‬‬)

During races, runners are aiming for Personal Bests – the best time that they have ran for that distance. In this ultra race of life we need to do our creative best:

Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don’t be impressed with yourself. Don’t compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life.”
(‭‭Galatians‬ ‭6:4-5‬ ‭MSG‬‬)

As we run, we need a positive mental attitude:

‘Clear your mind of can’t.’
(Samuel Johnson)

‘You must do the thing you think you cannot do.’
( Eleanor Roosevelt)

Or as the Bible says:

“I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”
(‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4:13‬ ‭NIV‬‬)

“I can do all things [which He has called me to do] through Him who strengthens and empowers me [to fulfill His purpose–I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency; I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses me with inner strength and confident peace.]”
(‭Philippians‬ ‭4:13‬ ‭AMP‬‬)

‘We were made to run’
(Jen Hatmaker)

‘So I run with purpose in every step.’
(‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭9:26‬ ‭NLT‬‬)

Blessings,

Ruthx

Memos to myself

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The following 12 quotes can make a difference to our time management this year (if we put them into practice..)

1.’All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.’
(J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring)

2. ‘So take some time to ask God today, “What do you want me to do with my one wild, beautiful life that no one else can?” Then listen to the whisper you hear in response.’ (Holly Gerth)

3.‘I never see why we should do anything unless it is either a duty or a pleasure! Life’s short enough without filling up hours unnecessarily.’
(CS Lewis)

4. ‘Focus is not something we find but something we create’ (Jeff Goins)

5.‘Productivity is effectively stewarding your gifts, talents, time, energy, and enthusiasm for the good of others and the glory of God.’
(Tim Challies)

6.‘A woman who lives with the stress of an overwhelmed schedule will often ache with the sadness of an underwhelmed soul.’

‘We have to slow the rhythm of rush in our lives so that the best of who are can emerge.’
(Lysa TerKeurst, The Best Yes: Making Wise Decisions in the Midst of Endless Demands)

7. ‘Essentialism is not about how to get more things done; it’s about how to get the right things done.

‘Remember that if you don’t prioritize your life someone else will.’

(Greg McKeown, Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less)

8. ‘We must be ready to allow ourselves to be interrupted by God.’ (Bonhoeffer)

9.’You can spend your life on a blur of things that leave you bankrupt.’

‘It’s not what you do now & then that changes anything ,but what you do *everyday* that changes everything. Daily disciplines are doors to full freedom’ (Ann Voskamp)

10. ‘We are merely moving shadows, and all our busy rushing ends in nothing. We heap up wealth, not knowing who will spend it. And so, Lord, where do I put my hope? My only hope is in you.’
(King David, Psalm 39:6-7)

11. ‘Don’t count the things you do. Do the things that count’
(Zig Ziglar)

12. ‘Time is non refundable. Use it with intention’ (Anon)

Blessings,

Ruth x

Captured time

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Captured time. I read the name of the antique shop in Greyabbey as I ran past.

Captured time. Now more than ever before we love to capture moments, to create happy memories. But we can’t capture time itself- we can’t catch it. No matter what, the earth keeps spinning, time marches on & moments run through our fingers like grains of sand.

Tonight we celebrate another revolution around the sun- the end of another year- chronological (Chronos) time

We’ve just celebrated the moment that split history in two.

‘The hinge of history is on the door of a Bethlehem stable’
(Ralph W Sockman)

I love how this poem puts it:

BC:AD

‘This was the moment when Before
Turned into After, and the future’s
Uninvented timekeepers presented arms.
This was the moment when nothing
Happened. Only dull peace
Sprawled boringly over the earth.
This was the moment when even energetic Romans
Could find nothing better to do
Than counting heads in remote provinces.

And this was the moment
When a few farm workers and three
Members of an obscure Persian sect
Walked haphazard by starlight straight
Into the kingdom of heaven.’

(U.A. Fanthorpe)

This was God ordained Kairos moment:

‘But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.’
(‭‭Galatians‬ ‭4:4-5‬ ‭NIV‬‬)

Jesus said, “ I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of.”
(‭‭John‬ ‭10:10‬ ‭MSG‬‬)

‘Born that man no more may die
Born to raise the sons of earth
Born to give them second birth’
(Hark! The herald angels sing-Charles Wesley)

Our Unchanging God transcends time:

‘Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.’
(‭‭Psalm‬ ‭90:2‬ ‭NIV‬‬)

Yet, ‘Eternity stepped into time,so we could understand’ (Michael Card)

And He is at work in time

‘He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.’
(Ecclesiastes‬ ‭3:11‬ ‭NIV‬‬)

Psalm 39:5 (AMP) says ‘My entire lifetime is just a moment to you; at best each of us is but a breath’

‘Selah’ is the word that follows next, & the amplified version translates this word as meaning ‘Pause, & think calmly of that!’

Indeed. Selah- Pause.Stop.Think.

‘Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.’
(James‬ ‭4:14‬ ‭NIV)

Our time here is so transient, like a vapour, like the notorious Irish mist that appears for a little while, then vanishes.

‘What is life? It is the flash of a firefly in the night… It’s the breath of the buffalo in the wintertime.It is the little shadow which runs across the grass & loses itself in the sunset’
(Native American saying )

In complete contrast, our God is from everlasting to everlasting. To Him, one thousand years are just like a day that has past (see Psalm 90)

‘We are a moment, You are forever
Lord of the Ages, God before time
We are a vapor, You are eternal
Love everlasting, reigning on high’
(Robin Mark)

Compared to the vastness of eternity, our time here is but a moment.

Yet, our lives are in God’s hands & we can trust in Him. ‘Lord,through all the generations, you have been our home’ (Psalm 90:1-NLT) He has been God ‘from “once upon a time” to “kingdom come”’ (Psalm 90:2 MSG)

So, as we live our lives, we can stay close to Him & dwell with Him. We can make the most of our time here. We can’t capture time but we can ‘redeem the time’ by keeping in contact with Him.

‘Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.’
(Psalm‬ ‭90:12‬ ‭NIV – A prayer of Moses the man of God)

All our days are written in His book. The Author of the epic story we call ‘Life’ knows how many pages are in the story of each of our lives (& of course what actually happens in our story)

‘Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, the days of my life all prepared before I’d lived even one day’ (Psalm 139:16 MSG)

The Author of All knows how the story ends- with a happy never-ending:
‘This life is but a shadow.What is real is what will follow (attributed to CS Lewis)

As we pause & reflect on the Eve of 2018, we can trust the One who has been there already & holds it altogether:

‘I said to the man who stood at the Gate of the Year,
“Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.”
And he replied, “Go out into the darkness,
and put your hand into the hand of God.
That shall be to you better than light,
and safer than a known way.”
(Minnie Haskins)

Blessings,
Ruth x

Love came down

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God,
whose very essence is Love,
sent His Love down to our little planet
& wrapped Love in flesh & swaddling clothes.

Love walked earth’s dusty, well-trod paths.
Love grew and gave.
Love brought hope to the hurting,
total healing to the sick,
sunsets and rainbows to the blind,
walking & leaping to the lame.

Love gave, and kept on giving
to a world dying to know true Heaven-sent Love.

When Love’s God-appointed Day arrived,
Love gave Himself for us-
Love nailed to a cross,
yet held there by Love-
that we, the unlovely,
would know that we are
truly,
deeply loved by God.

But,
even brutal crucifixion could not kill Love,
for,
Love rose with the sunrise in the garden,
and returned to heaven in a cloud.

And Love is with us always-
Even to the end of the age.

*************

‘When Love came down to earth
And made His home with men,
The hopeless found a hope,
The sinner found a friend.
Not to the powerful
But to the poor He came,
And humble, hungry heartsWere satisfied again.

What joy, what peace has come to us!
What hope, what help, what love!’

(Stuart Townend)

Love has a name.Jesus
Love has a place.Our hearts
Love has a story
And it’s not finished yet
(Toby Mac)

‘God is love’
(1 John 4:16)

Blessings,

Ruthx

Twixmas

curlysue028

It’s that in between zone- no man’s land sandwiched (with turkey & ham left-overs) between Christmas & New Year. The old year hasn’t quite finished- the new year hasn’t yet begun. It feels like an extended weekend if you are off work- & a little disgruntling & disjointed if you are not!

Already, the arbitrary date in December on which we celebrate the most amazing birthday of all seems distant. Another Christmas Day is blurring into a memory.

Yet, the meaning of Christmas can be an ongoing daily reality:
‘For the grace of God has appeared bringing salvation of all people’
(Titus 2:11)

‘Love, holiness, judgement, affection, righteousness, grace & mercy- they’re all wrapped up in Jesus & we’re now all wrapped up in Him’
(Chris Tiegreen )

‘You are given love, and this love is so extreme , it will take you all eternity to begin to understand it’
(Edward T Welch)

Wow!How can we respond to the greatest Gift of all?

Belfast’s coat of arms has the motto Pro tanto quid retribuamus? which means, ‘What shall we give in return for so much?’

It’s an echo of Psalms 116:12:
‘What can I offer the LORD for all he has done for me?’

There can be no half-hearted response to God’s cornucopian grace:

‘Were the whole realm of nature mine
That were an offering far too small
Love so amazing, so divine
Demands my soul, my life, my all’
(Isaac Watts)

We are truly blessed & should be forever grateful to God -the One who so loved that He gave- sacrificially & eternally.

We should ‘Celebrate everyday the wonder of God sending His Son on a sacrificial mission of redeeming grace’ (Paul Tripp)

The angels played a central role in celebrating redemption’s story as they sang God’s message of grace , hope & goodwill. ‘Gloria in excelsius Deo’the celestial choir proclaimed – declaring the good news of great joy. Their songs filled the starry night with praise & the shepherd’s hearts with hope.

Eventually, the songs of goodwill ended. Silence fell on Bethlehem’s hillside as the shepherds ran to worship the baby, born as king, born to die.

So, what happens next?

‘When the song of the angels is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and the princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flocks,

The work of Christmas begins:
To find the lost,
To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry,
To release the prisoner,
To rebuild the nations,
To bring peace among people,
To make music in the heart.’
(Howard Thurman.)

Don’t let the joy of Christmas fade away.Let the Spirit of Christmas linger longer as the work of Christmas begins

‘The Lord has done great things for us& we are filled with joy!’
(Psalm 126:3)

Blessings,

Ruth x

Star-gazing

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We live away from city lights & on a clear night stars shine clearly & brightly over our home. The Milky Way twinkles as it stretches across the darkness above our chimney.And during wintry early starts, we have the blessing of stars in the morning too!

Star gazing always makes me think big thoughts about our Great Big God.Tonight, I thought of how the star-scattering, life-giving Creator God came down to earth.

‘Lo,within a manger lies
He who built the starry skies’
(‘See amid the winter snow-Edward Caswall)

He left the glorious untainted splendour of heaven,
to be born as a baby,
to dwell on this earth.

‘God who is the Creator of the Universe, comes to us in smallness, weakness and hiddenness.’ (Henri Nouwen)

He came to be God with us- Imanuel.
A God with feelings and fingerprints.
A God to be where we are.

He was human & divine. ‘He became what he was not, but he ceased not to be what he was’ (JohnOwen)

And our Creator God marked this unique event by placing a new star in the sky as a sign.

‘He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name.’
‭‭(Psalm‬ ‭147:4‬ ‭NIV‬‬)

The Magi in the East saw the star:
‘When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.’
(Matthew‬ ‭2:10‬ ‭KJV‬‬)

Then they saw the baby:
‘On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.’
‭‭(Matthew‬ ‭2:11‬ ‭NIV‬‬)

I sang these words for the first timeon Christmas Eve:

‘Led by the light of faith serenely beaming,
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
O’er the world a star is sweetly gleaming,
Now come the wisemen from out of the Orient land.
The King of kings lay thus lowly manger;
In all our trials born to be our friend.
He knows our need, our weakness is no stranger,
Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!’
( O holy night-Cappeau)

Yet, apart from Mary & Joseph, the angels, a few shepherds & stargazers from the East, the rest of the planet Earth was totally unaware of the eternally significant event that unfolded one starry night in Bethlehem.

One Carol says, ‘How silently, how silently, the precious Gift is given’

And even on our {not so} silent nights, we can:
‘Look out past the stars, look to the One who put them there.’
(Keith Green)

As someone said ‘ Why wish upon a star when you can talk to the One who made them!’

Although we haven’t seen Jesus on earth, we can trust & believe:

‘Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory.’ (I Pet 1:8)

Blessings,

Ruth x

Hear the angels sing

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I love the anticipation of Christmas Eve & the atmosphere of Christmas Day. But there’s something welcoming about the quieter pace of Boxing Day & the un-named days thereafter between Christmas & New Year. Between the Old & New. ‘Twixmas’ they’ve recently been christened.

This gap can be a pause, to reflect & resolve. To quieten our hearts & still our souls.To listen to the angel song.

‘We need to find God, and He cannot be found in noise and restlessness.’
(Mother Theresa)

During the past week between work & rushed wrapping I was listening to a less well known Christmas carol written by Edmund Hamilton Sears in 1849:

‘It came upon the midnight clear,
That glorious song of old,
From angels bending near the earth
To touch their harps of gold!
Peace on the earth, good will to men,
From heaven’s all gracious King!
The world in solemn stillness lay
To hear the angels sing.’

In this rushing, digital world we need to shut out the cacophony of distractions.

Verse 3 of the carol has soothing words:

‘Oh rest beside the weary road
And hear the angels sing.’

Centuries ago on a star-spangled hillside near Bethlehem a choir of angels sang:

“Glory to God in the highest.And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”
(Luke 2:14 NKJV)

Gloria in excelsis Deo. Their words declared the resplendence of Almighty God. Their song proclaimed peace on earth & His goodwill to men.

Peace is not merely the absence of war, trouble or heartache. Peace is more than calmness in our personal life, or halcyon days on the world stage.

Rather, peace is the presence of God- the long promised Imanuel- God with us.

Before the angelic choir sang, the angel of The Lord said,”Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people”
(Luke2:10 NIV)

The angel reminded us there is no need to fear. There’s good news of great joy.

“Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.”
(Luke 2:11NIV)

Over two thousand years ago, the Promised One was born to seek & save the lost. To save us from ourselves. To save us from our sins.

We can rejoice in this truth at Christmas, & always. Now & forever.

So, in these days of Twixmas:
‘Rest beside the weary road
And hear the angels sing.’

Blessings,
Ruthx

PS Listen to ‘A Christmas Hallelujah‘ by Cloverton