As we take out the boxes upon boxes of Christmas decorations we seek to decide where everything goes and I do not know about you but we have a lot of Christmas decorations! In the midst of all the many lights and ornaments, there is this medium size box that holds the whole meaning of this holiday.
The Nativity.
As I see it in the pile of decorations I am reminded of two things:
I am reminded of how we have a tradition of not putting baby Jesus in the manger until Christmas morning~ Just a pet peeve of mine that He is not born until His birthday and after we read we let one of the boys put baby Jesus in the manager. This all reminds me of how every year I forget where I hid baby Jesus! And so started another tradition ~ the Search for baby Jesus ~ Let’s all be “wise men” ~ You like how I did that 🙂
After we laughed at that, I thought of how we sometimes put Jesus in a box just like we do when we pack up the nativity after Christmas each year. We set it out to look at, decorate our homes with reminders of who Jesus is then packing it up come January until we need it again to look pretty and be a reminder of what Christmas is really about.
I find that is done with the real Jesus. We take Him out to look and awe over in hopes that life will be pretty because we took Him into our lives and homes but we put Him away after that is done and in reality, we wait until we need Him to go looking for Him. As I unpack our Christmas decorations I am reminded that a steady heart keeps Jesus close all year long. In the pretty and not so pretty moments, not as a reminder but as a friend, a close friend that leads us right when we seek Him.
Balancing Grace & Truth brings that steadiness to my heart.
Because it brings a harmony of who Jesus is and gives a love that leads to obedience.
This love can be shown in our everyday lives.
Seeking Truth and seeing grace in that Truth is the very communion that Jesus said He is and that He accomplished. He lives in us and through us because of His Spirit!
Through the truth of Jesus coming as a man, we see the love He gave to those who believe.
This truth ushers in a grace that speaks to our hearts that our God knows our struggles and has given us a way that is delightful when seen with eyes that can see His goodness.
He is not just a man that gives us eternal Life but He is the one to follow today to have life and have it abundantly through His every promise.
I want us to remember He~ Jesus is our Master and our Guide to follow. His very Words given to us in the scriptures are given to bring Life on earth as it is in heaven. To see His glory revealed! Oh, to see His glory!
Our everyday decisions and actions should and if allowed be pleasing to Him. Even when we fail~ His Word tells us how to return to Him. Which is pleasing to Him because He died for that repentance~ so we could walk close to Him as we seek Him not just for salvation on the day of judgment but every day I need Jesus.
I love His Word!
It reveals Grace & Truth! It reveals Jesus!
I Love His Word because it gives me more of Jesus and chips away the “me” that needs Him to mold and make beautiful.
I hope that you find here a place to love Grace~ a Grace that speaks Truth in Love. And in that, we get more of Him and less of us.
Open His Word today and see His Grace and Truth that like salt preserves holiness so that Grace can be seen as a light that pushes back darkness first in our lives and in the lives of others. This produces a sweetness that looks like Jesus the Jesus that created us in His likeness and not us creating Him in what we like.
Those who have eyes to see will see! He promised 😊
John 1:14
John 14:15-31
