As the shepherds approached the baby, they couldn’t help but fall on their knees in worship. The very cry of this little child held great authority. The shepherds hearts were filled with amazement. This truly was the Messiah. They could feel it down to the very marrow of their bones. “The King has come to dwell among us,” they whispered to one another.

As we prepare to celebrate Christmas this year, I want to take time to look at the life of Jesus Christ. What child is this? What is special about this child compared to any other? Could He really come from a virgin? Was He actually both God and man?

Sometimes it’s in the least expected moments that God teaches and uses you.

One of the greatest things we can hear as believers in Jesus is that it’s not up to us to fix ourselves. We only need to be aware of our brokenness and sin, acknowledge it to the King of kings, and accept His redemptive forgiveness. Then, as His Holy Spirit takes up eternal residence within us, He begins to make room for more of Jesus in our lives. He shapes and molds us to be more like Him. Our job at this point is to surrender ourselves to His leading, to bask in the wonder of His word, and to worship Him all the days of our lives. The more we submit to this, the greater the impact He will have.

I admit that self-control is one of my weak points. It’s something I’ve prayed over and worked on with the Lord. But He is so gracious. He gave me a verse that has held me accountable and helped my perspective in this area

The streets were boisterous as people came from all over the country to bring their harvest to the temple. They were about to celebrate the new year together with a great feast. The air smelled of fresh barley. The honey was sweet and the figs fresh. People had their donkeys strapped with carts full to the brim with fresh fruit, oil, and barley as they entered the bustling city. The Inns were sold out and every home was filled with relatives from afar. The noise was intense. The animals tried to make their voices louder than their owners. It was a wonderful time of the year.

…Something very special has come from that time. I found myself repeating the first two verses many times when I went to bed at night. This led me to praising the Lord for His love and faithfulness that day. Then it turned into meditating on the ways the Lord had been faithful to me, which led to be going to sleep with a thankful heart….

Today is Thanksgiving. It’s a fun way to kick off the fall season and get excited about the coloured trees, bonfires, cooler weather, and all things apple and pumpkin. But in the busyness of this holiday, we can tend to forget the One who made it all. Let’s take some time today to pause and give thanks back to the Lord for His marvelous work.

It’s good to ask questions because it should cause you to look to the Bible to find the answers. In searching for truth with an open heart, the Lord will guide you to the answers you’re looking for. The question today asks, is God good? Though I could do a whole study on this, here are some of the answers I have for you today:

Kindness is something I haven’t really thought of much until recently. What does Biblical kindness mean? Why does God tell us to be kind? How do we show kindness in a troubled world?