"Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us". (Matt. 1:23; Isa. 7:14)

Merry Christmas - Christ has come and God has visited His people.

And it all began with... a seed.

The ‘seed’ is ...the word of God (Luke 8:11).

We are told that ‘in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God...and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.’ (John 1:1,14)

And even then, the very ones to whom He came to...did not receive Him (John 1:11). It happens, more than you might think.

Today, multitudes around the world are ‘celebrating’ by acknowledging that God truly did visit His people, and this King of Glory, the Almighty God...robed Himself in flesh which was all a part of His plan to redeem His people. (Luke 1:68). Whether you agree or disagree with even acknowledging this time of year and the day in which we remember God’s humble and meek entrance into a broken and dark world, there still something to be said to that old saying “Jesus is the reason for the season”.

But my goodness...is sure is easy to lose sight of Him amidst the clutter and distractions that surround this time of year.

You know that twelve years after His birth, we have recorded for us in scripture where the young Christ boy surfaces and is taken by His family to the big city of Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Passover, a really big holiday for the Jewish people. One can only imagine the crowds and festivities and the noise and activity surrounding this time and location. Big time holidays tend to attract such settings. And wouldn’t you know it, we learn a valuable lesson in this recorded event where it is told that Jesus ‘lingered behind in Jerusalem, and his parents did not know it' (Luke 2:43)

Then came the sobering mistake that is easy for any of us to do - They just assumed...took for granted and they ‘thought...Jesus was in their company as they made their way home’ (44). I mean...if His own mother, Mary...could do it...who of us would be silly enough to say that could never happen to us? And we read where they traveled a ‘whole day’s journey’ before they realized He was not among them. Maybe that’s why we are admonished to ‘give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard lest we drift away’ (Heb. 2:1). Do you think that was put in there to analyze...or to do? And let’s not forget what we learned about Sampson who after he grew lax, he yielded to the comfort of Delilah’s lap who chopped off his locks of hair, the source of his strength; and we are told that “he did not know the Lord had departed from him” (Judges 16:20)

When Joseph and Mary realized they had left Jesus behind, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking Him. Any parent can relate to the frantic racing of heart that those two must have endured as their imaginations began to run wild. It’s highly unlikely that there was a ‘lost and found’ center there in Jerusalem where they could report to first. Now get this: Three (3) days went by...before they found Him in the temple (Luke 2:45-46).

But they ‘found Him’, and only...after diligently seeking Him.

It would make for an insightful Bible study some time, to comb through the scriptures and discover how often we are admonished to ‘seek after’ or to ‘return to Him’...”with ALL our hearts”. Deuteronomy 30 is a beautiful chapter of promise, as are so many others. And what about that verse everyone loves to quote/share from Jer. 29:11, that talks about all the good things God has in store for us...to give us a hope and a future. But we hear less about vs. 12-14 that shares the conditions on how to find Him...which is the result of searching for Him with ...all our heart. And that is how many will be ‘brought back from captivity’ (14).

Remember...God has never changed (Mal. 3:6), and what He promised His people way back then...He promises us today. Why not finish up this Christmas Day with 2 Chron. 16:9 so you might be reminded that His eyes have never stopped ‘running to and fro throughout the earth’...still wanting to show Himself strong to those hearts that are ‘fully in’.

I suspect there are more than a few people out there who are way past due...to see the glory of God and all His strength...revealed to them in this coming new year. God knows we live in challenging and uncertain times. I don’t know about you, but I would not want to be caught anywhere outside of abiding in Him. And if I’ve said it once, I have said it repeatedly...multiple times here... “Stop trying to figure out if you are ‘saved’ or not and make sure you are simply abiding in Him. But you better know up front...before that can happen...you have to be ‘all in’. We can discuss this idea later.

Merry Christmas....