Daily Meditations
One of my favorite writers and amazing man is Dietrich Bonhoffer. The story of his life is an example for us all. This quote from his writings reminds us to think of what it means that Christ came into the world. Experience the moment before the coming of Christ and understand what it all means.
Psalm 49:5-9
5 Why should I fear in times of trouble,
when the iniquity of my persecutors surrounds me,
6 those who trust in their wealth
and boast of the abundance of their riches?
7 Truly, no ransom avails for one’s life,[a]
there is no price one can give to God for it.
8 For the ransom of life is costly,
and can never suffice,
9 that one should live on forever
and never see the grave.[b]
Christmas is coming. In this Psalm we see that nothing we can do can ransom out lives. Nothing WE can do. But coming to us on Christmas is someone who can. Someone sent by God. An infant who was born to save us. Praise God!
He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. 1 Peter 2:24
I can’t imagine what it must have been like. The fear and disbelief of the disciples. The grief of the mother of Jesus. The pain he felt. The effort of dragging the cross. It is all beyond my experience. I don’t know where I would have been in that scene. Would I have believed in him or been part of the angry mob? Where would you be?
I do know that things have been different ever since.
“A baby is God’s opinion that the world should go on.”
– Carl Sandburg
The world seems to be getting worse and worse. I don’t know if it really is more evil or just that we learn about it so much quicker. Sometimes it is hard to believe that there is any hope for mankind. Yet good things still happen and babies are born. I guess God hasn’t given up on us yet.
Prayer: Thank you loving God for continuing to give us a chance. We just don’t seem to learn. Forgive us our sins. Amen
“There is one thing more I wish I could give to them (my family) , and that is the Christian religion. If they had that and I had not given them one cent, they would be rich. If they have not that, and I had given them the world, they would be poor.” Patrick Henry
What do we want to leave as a legacy for our children. Most of us immediately think about our possessions. We want to have some money or property to leave them. Since I am now in my golden years I realize that possessions matter little if I haven’t taught them to love God. If they have no faith to support them when things don’t go well then I have given them nothing.
Prayer: God of love, help us to put teaching about you at the top of our priority list. Help us to set aside other demands and bring our families to church. Amen
It is not easy to remember to give thanks in all things. Some days we can’t see anything to be thankful for. Stop and look around you. You are alive. Isn’t that enough?
Today we continue to look forward to the birth of Jesus. It comes close to the shortest day of the year and the time when we start back toward more light.The light of Christ is coming into the world.
I don’t think there is any data to tell us exactly the date of Jesus’ birth but this is when we celebrate it and that is fine. A time set aside for us to remember the birth of the baby that changed the world.
Amazing god, help to remember why we celebrate. AMEN
I often think about the fact that God was willing to leave heaven and come to earth as a man. Who would choose to leave heaven?
THE GIFT
How wonderful that God
would be willing
to come to earth
as a human
How wonderful that God
would live as man
with other men
in time
How wonderful that God
would be willing
to suffer as men
and die
How wonderful that God
did all of this
for all of us
to live
Psalm 16: 1-2
1 Protect me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
2 I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
I have no good apart from you.”[a]
I don’t understand people who have no relationship with God. Where do they turn when life is challenging? It is not the things that we accumulate that give us “the good.” It is our God who provides us with the things that bring us life. Life with God is good.
Amazing God, thank you for providing the good in our lives. AMEN
I like living. I have sometimes been wildly, despairing, acutely miserable, racked with sorrow but through it all I still know quite certainly that just to be alive is a grand thing.—-Agatha Christie
I doubt that many of us have escaped the pains that can come in this life. Yet through it all just to get up each morning is a gift. Thank God each day for your life.
Giving God, you have granted us life. Help us to thank you for it. AMEN
Hear God in Other Voices 