Looking For The Light
Photo Courtesy of Caleb Stokes
Move beyond the miraculous
“Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?
For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”
Matthew 2:1-2 (NKJV)
“Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared in radiant splendor before them, lighting up the field with the blazing glory of God, and the shepherds were terrified! But the angel reassured them, saying, “Don’t be afraid, for I have come to bring you good news… For today in Bethlehem a rescuer was born for you...“Glory to God in the highest realms of heaven! For there is peace and a good hope given to the sons of men.” When the choir of angels disappeared and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another,
“Let’s go! Let’s hurry and find this Word who is born in Bethlehem and see for ourselves what the Lord has revealed to us.”
Luke 2:9-11, 14-15 (TPT)
It’s amazing to stop & consider the supernatural demonstrations that followed the birth of Jesus Christ. Angelic encounters, the glory of the Lord being revealed, and the “star in the East” are all miraculous markers that surrounded the greatest birth in human history. Whether you had the heart of a humble shepherd, or the acumen of a wise man, it would be incredibly easy to find yourself “starstruck” by it all. And yet, these men were moved beyond the power of the miracles.
They were Mesmerized by the Presence of jesus.
For so many of us, the centerpiece (Christ) of Christmas has been so far removed from our experience. At best, the “miraculous” has been reduced to a hollow, “thrills and frills” experience. And for others, the fleeting joy of the season isn’t even a part of our experience at this point. But the good news is, God has gifted us with a burning desire for more—a deep, fulfilling reality that Isaiah prophesied long ago when he said:
“The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine. For you will break the yoke of their slavery and lift the heavy burden from their shoulders. You will break the oppressor’s rod…For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called:
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His government and its peace will never end.
Isaiah 9:2, 4, 6-7 (NLT)
“The Light shines brightest in the dark” is not a cliche statement, it’s a statement about Christ. The story of Christmas is about the glory of God & the good news this imparts to all who believe. Isaiah’s prophecy makes it crystal clear, the King & His Kingdom have arrived! The government of His Kingdom now rests upon His shoulders. The greatness of His rule & reign is established, and His peace will continue to be executed without end.
This is the Good News of the Gospel of Peace. Those who surrender to Jesus’ Lordship will find peace with God. The Lord of Heaven’s armies will personally “lift the heavy burden from your shoulders & break the rod of oppression”. The pressure of life will be replaced with the peace of Christ. Don’t miss the call of God in this season. The Lord is calling you to make room for the miraculous again.
God’s calling You to make room for his presence to come in.
gaze upon his glory
“And so the Living Expression became a man and lived among us! We gazed upon his glory, the glory of the One and Only who came from the Father overflowing with tender mercy and truth!”
Lord, You are the Maker of Heaven & Earth. You are the One who made us & the One who has made His dwelling among us. There is no greater miracle than the manifestation of the Lord Jesus Christ. Because we are people made in Your image, our heart’s desire is to spend intimate time with those we love most. And the beautiful reality is, this is only a shadow of the deep desire you long to experience with each & every single one of us. Holy Spirit, give us a greater revelation of Your heart for us. Reorient our hearts around this revelation so that we are moved to prioritize Your presence. Open our ears to hear the true Miracle of the Christmas story.
Open our eyes so we can gaze upon your glory.
believing the unbelievable
If we were to use one word to try & define the story of Christ’s birth, “unbelievable” wouldn’t be a bad place to start. We have the luxury of 2000 or so years of digesting the powerful account of the Christmas story, but consider the faith of the people at that time. Despite the fact that the shepherds received a divine message & the wisemen had a guiding star, they still had to have faith in the unbelievable reality that the God of all mankind chose to become a man. And while we often focus on the faith of the shepherds & wisemen, there’s another account of faith that bears even greater interest. For born-again Believers in Jesus today, there’s a “blessing in believing” in the same heart-manner as Jesus’ mother Mary.
“…God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!” Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.”
The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true...”
Luke 1:26-31, 34-35, 38 (NLT)
Mary was a “favored virgin”, who received a revelation that Christ Himself would be conceived within her. This didn’t come about through natural relations or according to her own power. But rather, Mary simply believed & the power of the Holy Spirit brought the Word to life. This, in many respects, is a beautiful illustration for Believers today.
“For through the eternal and living Word of God you have been born again. And this “seed” that he planted within you can never be destroyed but will live and grow inside of you forever.
Spiritually speaking, Believers are called to be “wise virgins” who are intentionally waiting on the Lord (Matthew Ch. 25). We’ve been implanted with the life-seed of Jesus Christ, the deposit of the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 5:5), and we now have the divine responsibility of nurturing this New Life inside of us. And like any deposit in the natural—
Our supernatural deposit is designed to grow.
Though it’s unbelievable that the Lord would gift us with the immeasurable wealth of His Son, that’s exactly what God has done. Luke 1:45 tells us that “we are blessed when we believe the Lord will do what He has said”. Therefore, let us become a people who embrace the blessing that accompanies belief.
Embrace the overwhelming reality that, the Lord is not only with you, but now lives inside you. Embrace the full-inheritance of your God-given destiny by believing Him, accepting Him, and maturing into sonship (John 1:12). Take the word of the Lord to heart, worshipfully obey Him in Spirit & in Truth, and let the Holy Spirit empower you to glorify God in all you do. And when it comes to the unbelievable call of God on your life, may the declaration of your heart be:
“I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true...”
Looking for the light
In this season of your life, what is it you’re looking for?’ Whether you’d consider yourself a Christ-denier or a Christ-follower, we’re all searching for something. Some of us are trying to find our way, some are trying to find truth, and others are looking for their life. The good news is, we simply need to look back to the beginning.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made…In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
Jesus Christ is the One who was, and is, and is to come. He is The Way you’re looking to go, The Truth you’re seeking to find, and The Life you’re longing to live. Light came into the world so you could stop the senseless searching. Light came into the world so that you could know this Light, walk in this Light, and testify (in word & deed) to the Light. Your heart was made for the Lord, your heart was made for the Light.
Your heart was made for the Lord jesus christ.
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today’s Takeaways
Make room for the lord’s presence today.
steward your supernatural deposit from jesus.
Reflect the light of his love in word & deed.