Knowing God - God Speaks!

Luke 5:4

 Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.

Jesus had been teaching the multitudes.  He gave them wonderful instruction about their lives, the Lord and truth.  Then Jesus stopped speaking to the multitudes and spoke a directive to Simon.  The Lord loves His people and has so much to say to us as a flock, as a body and as His children, but He loves to speak to us directly as well.  Our God speaks to us about our individual lives.  He talked to Simon about Simon’s boat, Simon’s net and Simon’s profession.  Do you know that your Lord loves you and wants to speak to you about your possessions, your responsibilities and your day?  Do you ever place yourself as just one of His sheep instead of realizing that you are His individual lamb as well?  How wonderful to know that our Lord loves us and desires for us to hear Him leading our individual decisions and course! 

Be Open

Luke 2:8-9

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

The shepherds were doing in their regular work by watching their flocks by night.  They were not expecting such a supernatural visit in the midst of their workday.  They were afraid at first but then received the news and ended up seeing God, the Son, in person.  When we go about our daily tasks we would do well to remain open to the voice of the Lord directing us and speaking to us.  Our daily jobs often seem mundane and often take on a sense of routine that might very well drown out the unexpected spiritual encounters the Lord might have for us.  Let us be open to any leading or messages the Lord has for us as we 'watch our flocks by night'.

Tidings of Comfort and Joy

Gen 3:15

And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

As soon as man sinned, the promise of the Messiah baby was given.  The seed of the woman, Jesus Christ, was going to bruise Satan's head.  This is wonderful news.  Christmas was promised immediately after the fall of man and Satan was informed of his inevitable defeat.  He is the seed of the woman and He has bruised the head of Satan with a fatal blow. Joy to the world, the Lord has come.  He was born to save us all from Satan's power when we had gone astray - o, tidings of comfort and joy! 

He was Laid in a Manger

Luke 2:7

 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

She laid him in a manger.  A manger is a feeding trough.  The place where the animals eat.  Jesus Christ was place in a manger where food was given to the animals.  Jesus is the Bread of Life.   He is what we need to continue strong and sustained in our lives.  He wants us to eat His flesh and drink His blood.  He wants us to know that in Him is what we need to move, live and have our being.  We need to feed on His faithfulness.  We need to take in His Words as our daily bread.  We need to know that in Him we have life.  This little manger should speak to us that truly apart from Him we can do nothing.

Being Led Another Way

Matt 2:12

And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.

These wise men were educated, esteemed and driven.  They had been told by Herod to come back and report when they had found Jesus.  They most likely verbally agreed to do this.  Then, they had a dream.  Did all of them have a dream?  Did only one and he told the others?  We don't know.  We do know though that these wise men were open to going 'another way' home because God has given them a warning.  They didn't take the most logical or easiest way home.  They took another way.  They took the way that would cause them to obey the Lord and not return to Herod.  We can learn from these wise men.  The most logical or practical path may not be the Lord's path.  We would do well to remain open to the Lord's warnings about our courses and the directions we would take.  Let us remember that no matter how much we know, no matter whether we have seen the Messiah,we are dependent on the leading of the Holy Spirit to cause our steps to be ordered by the Lord.

Finding Him with Friends!

Matt 2:2

Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

Something I am enjoying about the Christmas account is the repeated instances where fellowship promotes and encourages seeking.  The shepherds told each other in Luke 2:15m, "Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us."  Then, we have the wise men telling Herod, "WE have seen his star in the east and we are come to worship him.".  The WE factor.  Both the shepherds and the wise men sought the Lord together resulting in encountering Christ and worshiping Him.  Do you have these fellow seekers in your life that encourage you to pursue the Lord?  Consider whom you hang out with.  Do they spur you on to seek the Lord, find Him and worship Him?  If not, consider asking the Lord for new friends or perhaps pray that your current friends begin to be these types of friends.  Both the shepherds and the wise men had other people with them as they discovered the Lord and enjoyed finding what the Lord was leading them to.  I pray you have these kinds of relationships and that your Christmas season is filled with fellowship that results in great finds!

Seeking and Worshiping

Matt 2:11

And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: 

These wise men from the East came and worshiped this child - Jesus Christ.  They didn't just find Him and mark off their accomplishment of finding what they sought.  When they found Him, they worshiped Him.  We are only to worship the Lord!  Jesus is Lord!  They were esteemed, wealthy, wise men and yet they knew that Jesus was to be esteemed higher than any other.  Their act of seeking and worship is worthy to be emulated.  When we are seeking the Lord about something and He leads us to what we were looking for we should fall down and worship Him.  When was the last time you physically got on your knees and bowed in the presence of Jesus?  Sometimes a physical act of worship helps us see how worthy He really is.  This Christmas season, let us continue to seek Him and bow before Him worshiping Him.  Don't let 'Christmas tasks' distract you from your devotions, church attendance or any other discipline you have that keeps you in a place of seeking and worshiping.