Good Morning EAC! Thanks for joining me and hundreds of others in our church as together we read through God’s word. Today is Day #1. It has not been our goal to have as many people as possible to start Day 1, but to finish day 92. My prayer and my hope is that for all of you who start, that you will see it through to the end. Why? Because God’s word, the Bible, will change your life!
So, for the hope of transformed lives, here is my one “tip” for each daily reading. Begin each reading with a prayer. A simple prayer from the heart: Lord, make your word come to life in my heart. Lord, find my heart, my mind, my life completely open and yielded to you. Today, use your word to transform me! Today!
Luke 1 (NLT); John 1:1-14 (NLT)
Scott Slocum, Lead PastorThe Christmas Story. How many times in my life have I heard The Christmas Story? Not only have I read it, but how many times have I heard it told? Just Linus reciting it in “The Charlie Brown Christmas Special” would almost be more than I can count. So, here I go reading the story yet again. Now don’t get me wrong, I love the Christmas Story, it’s by far one of my favorite parts of the bible. It’s just that for anything that we are so familiar with, we don’t look at it looking for something new and fresh, as we know it so well; we just read it. …So I was reading it, the angel told Mary that she was going to have a baby. No ordinary baby, but the “Son of the Most High.” Mary’s response: “How will this be?” Now that’s a good question!
Think about all that is wrapped up in that question… “How will this be?”
- How will this be?
- How can it be?
- Are you kidding me?
- Me??
- I can’t believe it!
- No one will believe…it.
- Who can I tell?
- I can’t tell anyone…they’ll think I’m either crazy or a liar..or both.
Thinking about all of those thoughts…it struck…you’re Mary, who do you tell? Who can you talk to? Who would understand?
Then the story mentions Elizabeth. Elizabeth was Mary’s Aunt, well up in age. Though we don’t know her exact age, she was somewhere between a senior citizen and elderly. (I’ll leave it to you to define what those mean).
Elizabeth was a very old woman who had never had any children. She and her husband had never been able to conceive. Now, here she is in the middle of her own miraculous birth, where an angel showed up to Elizabeth and said after all these barren years, “You’re going to have a baby!” “Your baby will be a boy, John the Baptist will be the baby’s name and John and Jesus would in fact be cousins.”
That’s when it hit me, isn’t it just like God to provide Mary with someone she already knew (her aunt) who would understand her miracle?
Who would believe an “Angel told me” story? …Someone who also had a visit from an angel, who would believe an unbelievable “I’m pregnant” story?
It’s just like God to provide Mary with someone who would understand what she was going through and He doesn’t do that just for Mary, but also for you!
Do you realize that there is nothing that you will go through, or are going through that God will not provide for you, other people who will understand? God never leaves us to go through life’s moments alone. There will be people who will care, who will cry with you, laugh with you, people who will love you and stand by you.
Now, they may not come running to you; Mary sought out and went to Elizabeth. Sometimes, that is exactly my problem. I wait or hope or expect that people should come to me and when they don’t come, I get angry or bitter or feel isolated. I’m learning to not let my pride keep me from enjoying the help and care that God provides to me through other people. So here are my final thoughts for today:
- First, are you going through something in your life today? Don’t go through it alone. Don’t be afraid to reach out for help or to tell someone your story. God has already provided people in your life who care.
- Second, would you be an “Elizabeth” to someone else who may be feeling alone. Imagine the relief it would have been to Mary to find Elizabeth and have her understand. Know someone in need, be aware, then step up and let them know you care.
My Prayer Today: Lord, don’t let my pride keep me from reaching out to others when I’m in need. Today help me to see beyond people’s masks, to see their real needs and then to offer to them myself.
Wow. Day 1 and you hit the nail on the head for me (at least, one of the nails). Pride has built a lot of isolation into my life. I need to develop humility like Mary’s.
Jerry, I have to agree with you as well. Hitting the nail on the head. Humble is my word for the year, I want to live out His purpose and not my own. Just this week I was approached to be a mentor for someone going through events I have already experienced. I am humbled, and thank God for this opportunity and pray He heals and touches this person.
What an amazing reminder how much we need each other and that God has a plan in all our of circumstances. I personally know what an an honor and privilege it is to walk along side someone who is in the midst of a difficult journey where I’ve already been. I’m not sure who is more blessed, the giver or the receiver. I pray that my heart and ears will be open to God’s prompting for the people he puts in my path.
I think fear of criticism and being judged by others are reasons why we use pride to isolate our selves from the help of others. God can help us overcome the sting that sometimes comes with the truth. We just need to pray that we can see His message in the truth and change our selves for the betterment of His plan in our lives.
Yes, it is so much like God to send us someone who understands. I would have never seen that connection in this story. Incredible! He never leaves us alone. We just have to believe, seek, and be humble.
Renee, I, too, would never have seen that connection. I am thankful for having you in my life! God is always many steps ahead of us.
I was just discussing the way God puts people in our path when we need them. He has provided me with a small group with just the right people to meet each others needs. Thank you Jesus!
God is truly great! I never thought of the connection between Mary and Elizabeth and how only they would fully understand what each other was experiencing. When I put my pride aside and risk sharing my “how can I tell this to anyone” thoughts, He never leaves me alone. There is always someone in our lives who cares. It may not be who I think it should be but there is always someone there.
I, too, would have never seen the Mary/Elizabeth connection – Wow! Just yesterday, God sent someone who could understand me and speak into my life. I’m so grateful we serve such a great and mighty God!
The difficulty of carrying a burden always tangles itself with our human being,
natural man emotions like pride / ego / self-centeredness /end-of-the-world syndrome /ETC.
Thank God for sending us friends and relatives who cares and respects relationship
as each of us opens up to tell our story. Moreso, helping to provide for those
unmet needs.
Like Mary, we can always count on trusted confidant (is the person you trust to spill
your guts to). Then she wrote The Magnificat. May this encourage us to go through difficulties
knowing that this goes along with ‘birthing of Christ’. He is with us in the midst of trials
and difficulties. Let’s pursue victory as we go through situation becoming wiser and stronger than ever before and bring glory to HIS name.
Pastor Scott, thanks for your insight into the scripture where it is “just like God” to have complimented Mary’s blessing of being chosen to bear the son of God and for God to have provided her with someone who understands. How wonderful a God we serve! I am beside myself about this event happening and to share in this exciting opportunity to be transformed by God! God please transform me in such a way that I can be a better person, a point of light, a beacon of understanding in the lives of others. Praise God!
Lord, open our eyes to see beyond our own overwhelming circumstances to the people and opportunities you have so faithfully and lovingly intended to be a part of it. As we in obedience say, “Let it be unto me according to Your Word”, let us see and appreciate the intricacies and interwoven details of Your perfect plan.
Geez – looking more direct at the scripture, didn’t Gabriel come down pretty hard on Zechariah to silence him until the birth of his son, after hearing such incredulous news?
Perhaps Gabriel wasn’t used to getting disbelief in response to his messages.
Thank you for new insight and understanding to this very familiar scripture. I am grateful for this reminder of humility.
God does always provide what we need. I have learned that we do have a personal responsibilty to seek His will and His provision and when we are really honest with Him, with ourselves and with others…and this does most often require us to be humble…God provides in amazing ways!
Pure inspiration for me to do what I must. I really needed to hear this and the timing is perfect. Thank you Jesus!
Every time I open my heart God steps in.
What I also realized for the first time is that Luke 1:15b states “he (John) will be filled with the Holy Spirt even before his birth”. I thought all this time that the Holy Spirit only came to indwell after Jesus returned to heaven.
John, with the Holy Spirit in him, prepared the way for Jesus to begin his ministry Am I, with the Holy Spirit in me, preparing people for when Jesus returns?
What a great way to start this reading plan. The One True God is revealed here in three persons from the beginning of time, God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This is the very foundation of our faith. Thank you for emphasizing the ever presence of the Indwelling Holy Spirit. Knowing the identity of the God we worship and place our faith in separates Christianity from religious cults.
My prayer today above certainly touched my heart today. I do struggle with asking others for help. I seem to always take my burdens to God alone. I know sometimes we do need the encouragement of another. Thank you Pastor Scott for posting an inspirational prayer.
I am going through one of those times right now where I am questioning will others understand, but I know the answer to that question and it is “Yes!” God has put a person in my path that has helped me more than I deserve. When I was headed down a dark and scary path, my friend helped me to navigate my way back and I would be honored to be a beacon to help someone else, like Elizabeth and Mary helped each other.
It is amazing the purpose and the plan that God gave to Mary, Elizabeth ,and Zachariah. I know that God gives us a plan too. I hope I can fulfill mine.
Wow, pointing out that God sent an angel to Elizabeth as well that she would be with child so that she would truly understand Mary’s miracle really hit me. I went through something along time ago that would only be understood by someone who went through it; actually it can’t be explained but only one who experienced it could understand what I went through. Others seem to be drawn to me not knowing I went through this but somehow want to talk about what they went through because they seem to know I will understand and it helps me as well listening to them.
I am so grateful to have walked into Essex Alliance when I did. I took the spiritual gifts class at the end of January and yesterday was my second Sunday service. The timing of this reading plan is better than anything I could have planned on my own. I’m thankful for the guidance and insight I’m receiving through this structured plan, devotionals from different points of view as well as the enthusiastic and thoughtful comments I’m reading here. How timely today’s devotional is for me – reaching out to others in need has never been a challenge for me, but asking for help for myself is not my forte. I am beginning to see that loving ourselves as God does is an essential piece to being of service to others.
Welcome Ann!
God gave us 2 ears and one mouth. Which do we engage the most? Do we really listen to people in need? Or do we talk over them? Zach needed to truly listen to Gabriel. Sometimes, (or I should say, all the time) we truly need to put our cares aside and TRULY listen to those around us. True, I too, never thought of Elizabeth as being Mary’s mentor. What a truly wonderful God we have!!
Nice post Scott!!
Great plan!!
So I totaly should have read this at the beginning of my day, but better late then never. Now don’t get me wrong, I began my morning praying and in the word and singing his praises by afternoon and now, I am in awe of what God continues to teach me through others. It is such a blessing to serve him. PSALM 34:3-4 Glorify the Lord with me, let us exalt his name together. I sought the Lord and he answered me. He delivered me from all my fears. What a beautiful day this has been!
There have been many times when I felt like I was alone in life, and God already had someone waiting there for me. I just forgot to look. How lucky we all are to be loved by such an amazing and insightful God. Amen!!
Scott as always, your comments are perfect in timing! I attended the funeral today for Jane Lee and just finished reading these passages and your blog. Thanks for the reminder to be an “Elizabeth” which gives me encouragement for how I can continue to honor Jane by checking in on her husband and children, who I am sure will be feeling very lonely without her.
Wow….Never tabout it that way. God you tuly love sus and care about us more than anyone can imagine.
When I read that “John would be filled with the holy spirit, even from birth” (okay, here’s the parent perspective..) I instantly thought — Wow! How wonderful for Elizabeth to know that her son would follow Christ from the beginning. What a tremendous relief!! Is God cutting them a bit of slack for bearing a child in their old age? Not saying it’s not well deserved, but just that this is the ultimate blessing to any mother!! How wonderful!
This is way to cool!
One day behind but not regretting it.Great place to start reading. I wanted to read it together with my wife Kathy but had a mind full already. Thankful for my small group meeting tonight as this will surley be the topic. I try to ALWAYS be on gaurd of my DISbelief that could in fact cause the outsider (angle) to say HMMMMMMM ? I’m pretty sure an angle doesn’t know me like GOD so even though I don’t have to look for GOD to see him….I know I need to be mindful that he is in fact there. Of this I have no doubt.
Just read through this blog and really enjoy the way we all can have our eyes opened in our own unique way through the same passage. It is wonderful how God made each one of us different and yet so much alike. He does see and know us and is guiding us everyday to meet each other’s needs or to receive help and support from others. Our job can be, being open and being humble and getting out of God’s way and following him. Remembering the statement ” I do what I see my Father doing.”
Two thoughts here. 1) I tend to see God work in my life from a hindsight perspective. Rarely am I aware of God providing for my needs until after the fact. Whether it was using me to help someone else out, providing a friend for me, just letting me know that he is always with me, etc. I pray that as I continue to develope my relationship with God, he will open my eyes to his presance in my live here and now. 2) As I read the introduction to John in my bible, it made me evaluate my own relationship with God. It basicaly said that lots of Christians intellectually acknowledge that God exists, yet stand on the sidelines and watch others step out into faith. If we continue to live our lives without relating to God then we have more in common with those who deny his existance. So I pray that like Mary and Elizabeth I too will embrace God plans for me and live my life as a true Christ-follower. At which point I think I’m still on the sidelines knowing that I want to but trying to figure out how to take the leap.