Friday, December 9, 2011

Serenity Came Down at Christmas

Today I welcome the man who has splashed me with serenity and love for 41 years. Recopied from the C&MA Northeastern District newsletter, may its truth give us cause for pause.

Another Advent season is upon us and with it the joyful
expectation of, and preparation for, the celebration of our Savior’s
birth. This Christmas day as Elaine and I are gratefully recalling the birth
of baby Jesus, we will also be excitedly awaiting the birth of baby Isaac, our eighth grandchild who is due to arrive December 27th. As have our other
grandkids, we know Isaac will light up our lives in wonderful ways.

The light a newborn brings to his family is dazzling but it pales in comparison to the light that came into the world with the birth of Jesus Christ. Though not often regarded as a Christmas hymn, P.P. Bliss’ “The Light of The World” conveys a powerful Christmas message:

The whole world was lost in the darkness of sin;
The light of the world is Jesus;
Like sunshine at noonday His glory shone in,
The light of the world is Jesus.

The darkness of our sinful world is pervasive. Every day reminders of that
truth come to us through our newspapers, televisions, computers, and smart
phones. Just when we think sin has hit us with its best (worst) shot, some
new headline or news thread reminds us that Satan is as active as ever. He
still prowls around like a lion, looking for someone to devour. Every
depressing, even disgusting, account of his successful attacks reveals how
desperately people need to come from the darkness of their sin into the light of God’s love and mercy through Jesus Christ.

As we all move through this precious season of the year, may our eyes,
minds, and hearts be fixed on Jesus, the light of the world. May our lives and our churches shine the brilliant light of our Savior into the darkness of our world as we remember these darkness-piercing words from Dwight Hall’s
song, “Lord, in This Urgent Hour.”

Millions are lost from Thee,
Great God of Majesty,
Oh, Savior, set them free,
Great God of love.


Lord, let your light shine through us,
Dan

1 comment:

  1. Elaine,

    Praying Isaac arrives with grace and health. A great analogy of the beauty and miracle our precious Savior was for mankind.

    It sounds like writing is a family gift. :)

    Lisa

    ReplyDelete

I would love hearing from you! Thanks for sharing!