December 2025 – Pressing On In His Footsteps

On Trusting When I Don’t Understand

Luke 2:6-7 MSG While they (Joseph and Mary) were there (in Bethlehem), the time came for her to give birth. She gave birth to a son, her firstborn. She wrapped him in a blanket and laid him in a manger, because there was no room in the hostel.

Observation

Simply, humbly, quietly, the Savior, Messiah, King of Kings becomes human as a helpless child. This is the fulfilled promise: “Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever.” (Isaiah 9:6b-7) Yet, the fanfare on His arrival was all for the lowly shepherds, those with the least influence and status. Even the kings (aka wise men) that eventually came to honor Him were Gentile, another group not highly regarded by the Jewish authorities.

Why come as a baby? Why didn’t the angels announce His coming to people of influence and power? Why be born into such humble circumstances, in a place redolent with the odor of animals? Why live so under the radar as He grew? Why wait so many years to make Himself known? Why be an itinerant preacher with no permanent home? Why suffer the ignominy of death on a Cross? These are all questions we can ask to try to make sense of why our God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – seems to wait so long while He allows evil to continue to appear to triumph through inflicting disaster, pain and suffering. I don’t believe He will answer these questions with anything but “trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” He has a plan that will not be changed or rushed.

Impact on Me

I have found that Jesus will come to the humblest and most distressed places. I received Jesus as Lord alone in my home. I was listening to a television evangelist who invited me to put my hand on the screen and pray with him. I was a church goer all of my life, but I was never aware of a personal relationship with Christ available to me. I got saved on that day, in front of that television, and my life was changed. My life was not made perfect in that moment, but I did step into God’s plan to work His will and purpose in my life. This is a lifetime pursuit, a journey, one in which I must trust Him enough to surrender and release my rights, my dreams, my control. I am responsible to learn how to respond according to His Word rather than react according to my flesh.

Perhaps this is why Jesus arrived as a baby. He needed 30 years to fully understand our human struggle by living it. He was a child dependent upon and submitted to His parents. He learned to work with His hands. He had friends and relatives. As a human, He learned how to stay out of the way of the full and powerful flow of the Holy Spirit. He showed us what is possible when we do the same. It makes me more aware of how intense and agonizing facing the Cross must have been. I am forever grateful for His sacrifice which began in a trough and ended on the Cross.

Devotion

Lord, You are Savior, Redeemer, King of Kings, Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Because You lived as we do, You understand our tendency to ask questions, to want to know and understand. However, I recognize that I am asked to listen for Your instruction and obey because I trust You. Mary did this at great risk to her reputation and future. I doubt she really understood her part in my road to salvation, restoration and maturity in Christ. I am grateful for her and ask that You would help me to have the same absolute trust regardless of the cost. Make it so, in Jesus’ name.

On The Sacrifice of Christmas

Luke 2:8-12 MSG There were shepherds camping in the neighborhood. They had set night watches over their sheep. Suddenly, God’s angel stood among them and God’s glory blazed around them. They were terrified. The angel said, “Don’t be afraid. I’m here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide: A Savior has just been born in David’s town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master. This is what you’re to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger.”

HARK! The Herald Angels Sing (John Wesley/George Whitfield c. 1740)

Hark! the herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King, peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled!” Joyful, all ye nations rise, join the triumph of the skies; with th’ angelic host proclaim, “Christ is born in Bethlehem!” Hark! the herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King!”

Christ, by highest heaven adored; Christ, the everlasting Lord; late in time behold him come, offspring of a virgin’s womb. Veiled in flesh the Godhead see; hail th’ incarnate Deity, pleased as man with man to dwell, Jesus, our Emmanuel. Hark! the herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King!”

Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace! Hail the Sun of Righteousness! Light and life to all he brings, risen with healing in his wings. Mild he lays his glory by, born that man no more may die, born to raise the sons of earth, born to give us second birth. Hark! the herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King!”

Observation

Side note: This Christmas Carol is my favorite of them all. It was written by John Wesley and modified by George Whitfield, two of the preachers instrumental in the Great Awakening, a revival in England and the American Colonies in the 1700’s, setting free the offer of salvation from denominational boundaries. “God and sinners reconciled … Mild he lays his glory by, born that man no more may die, born to raise the sons of earth, born to give us second birth.” They invited men and women to receive the free gift of salvation in spite of their theological differences

Back to the song…. “Suddenly, God’s angel stood among them and God’s glory blazed around them. They were terrified.” I think about these shepherds, the first strangers invited to the stable. They were low on the Jewish value system – not chosen to continue in religious training, only fit to be out in the fields watching sheep, probably malodorous from infrequent bathing. They certainly never expected to meet a king. Perhaps they had enough religious training to expect Messiah to come as an adult – a great warrior king who would free them from Roman rule. Yet, here they are bathed in blazing light and being told that the Messiah was a baby in a manger nearby in their own backwater town of Bethlehem. I am sure they didn’t argue, but, when they recovered their senses, I wonder what they thought on the way to the stable. Recognizing those at the top of the invitation list is worth noting.

Impact On Me

For me, Christmas is a time to recognize the sacrifice our Savior made from manger to the Cross. He came as a baby so He could share in all we are and do, submitted to His parents and the other authority figures as He grew up, lived within the cultural rules of the day, and knew all that would be required of Him well before the Cross. “Peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled … Veiled in flesh the Godhead see; hail th’ incarnate Deity, pleased as man with man to dwell, Jesus, our Emmanuel … Mild he lays his glory by, born that man no more may die, born to raise the sons of earth, born to give us second birth.”

This song always reminds me that our God was willing to give it all to reconcile with me, with us. It also reminds me that He was not in a hurry. He didn’t just drop Jesus down as a fully grown man to start preaching and teaching. He was not moved by the expectations of the warrior Messiah who would free Israel from the latest conqueror. He gave Himself in the God/Man Jesus as a baby and waited until around 30 years to start His 3-year ministry – 33 years that modeled how to live in that reconciled state. Christmas reminds me that the sacrifice started at His birth.

Devotion

“Christ, by highest heaven adored; Christ, the everlasting Lord … Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace! Hail the Sun of Righteousness! … Glory to the newborn King!” You are all of these and more! In my life of worshipping You, Lord, never let me forget that You came to provide salvation, reconciliation and indwelling for whosoever will come – to include all humankind. The first invitees to worship You were the lowliest on the social totem pole, the cast offs, the culturally insignificant. You value every soul and desire to embrace – to reconcile – each one to relationship with You. As I sing the songs and enjoy the warmth and joy of the Christmas season, may I never take Your sacrifice for granted – from manger to the Cross. Make it so in Jesus’ name. Amen.

On the Government I Choose

Isaiah 9: 2-7 NLT The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine. ³You will enlarge the nation of Israel, and its people will rejoice. They will rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest and like warriors dividing the plunder. ⁴For you will break the yoke of their slavery and lift the heavy burden from their shoulders. You will break the oppressor’s rod, just as you did when you destroyed the army of Midian. ⁵The boots of the warrior and the uniforms bloodstained by war will all be burned. They will be fuel for the fire. ⁶For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. ⁷His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen!

Observation

Government can be defined as (1) the group of people with the authority to govern a country or state; (2) the system by which a state or community is governed: (3) the action or manner of controlling or regulating a state, organization, or people. Essentially, government is the authority under which we choose to live. In the United States, we have a democratic republic. In the time of Jesus, there was a mix of dictatorship (Roman rule) and theocracy (religious rule). All of these are human contructs and subject to the character, motives, ethics and morals of those who rule. There is no guarantee of “fairness and justice” when humans are in control. Please understand – until Jesus comes again, we need a human government and good representatives to do the best they can to administer law/justice, provide protection, and unify a people.

However, human governments are not eternal. “For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity.” So, we have a choice to choose the system under which we live, to choose who is our ultimate governing authority for now and forever. In Christ we have a promise of fairness, justice, peace and protection that never ends. To do this, we must set ourselves to live first by the laws of His government regardless of the environment and challenges of human authority. Sometimes, it is difficult to do.

Impact on Me

This is not a political commentary. I ache to see Jesus rule in and over the lives of those all over the world who are living in angst (a feeling of anxiety, apprehension, or insecurity) over current affairs. I do not understand so much of what is happening throughout the world. I don’t have a comforting answer to those agonizing over a God who allows war, pain, greed, power-hungry pursuits, or any of the other injustices of humanity. My only answer is that the nature of my God is “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” He is Savior, Constant Companion, Protector, Wise Teacher, Healer and so much more. This is what I need to understand.

When I allow angst to rule my thoughts, my choices, my life, I am choosing human government over Jesus government. To do so is to open the door to doubt, unbelief and sin. I become one of those who walk in darkness. I want to be full of the Light that leads people out of that deep darkness. I will only do that if I allow Jesus to govern my thoughts, motives, actions and words. This requires the surrender of my soul to respond according to His will and purposes, saying no to how my flesh wants to react. This is a lifelong change that only Holy Spirit can accomplish as I give Him permission.

Devotion

I bow in worship to You, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. I ache for all to submit to Your authority because it is saving, healing, resurrection life. Help me to keep my motives, my actions, my words firmly rooted in Your will and purpose. I want to be a lantern beaming with Your light into the deep darkness so others may choose to enter Your kingdom. Make it so, in Jesus’ name.

On The Slippery Slope of Sin

Judges 16:18-19 (MSG) When Delilah realized that he had told her his secret, she sent for the Philistine tyrants, telling them, “Come quickly—this time he’s told me the truth.” They came, bringing the bribe money. 19 When she got him to sleep, his head on her lap, she motioned to a man to cut off the seven braids of his hair. Immediately he began to grow weak. His strength drained from him.

Observation

Samson was one of Israel’s Judges. Judges is a book that records the ups and downs of Israel’s worship of God – while the Judge was alive, Israel honored God but after the Judge died, they didn’t. An angel appeared to Samson’s mother before he was born to declare that Samson would be a Nazirite from birth. He was under a divine mandate to live a special commitment to God by abstaining from wine, grapes, raisins, and fermented drinks in any form, avoiding contact with dead bodies, and not cutting one’s hair. God endowed Samson with extraordinary strength which he used to fight and defeat the Philistines, Israel’s enemy. Unfortunately, Samson allowed his personal life to be out of control – his temper, his indulgences, his sleeping around, his playing fast and loose with the rules of his vow – and, worst of all, he falls in love with a Philistine woman who lives in the Valley of Sorek (Grapes). Since grapes in any form are forbidden to the Nazirite, it is fitting that his indulgences caught up with him here.

This is a classic example of how toying with temptation leads to being betrayed by sin. Delilah is an example of indulging a temptation until it ripens into addictive, soul-owning sin. Surely, even if he was mesmerized by her, Samson had to suspect something was up when Delilah nagged him – and tested each method!! – until he gave up the secret of his strength (Judges 16:16-17 She kept at it day after day, nagging and tormenting him. Finally, he was fed up—he couldn’t take another minute of it. He spilled it.). Sadly, he chose to indulge her – to live in the moment, to have his sinful pleasure, to ignore the truth- until it was his undoing as she delivered him into the hands of the enemy.

Before this night, Samson could have voluntarily repented and reconsecrated himself – cut off his hair, offered the proscribed sacrifices and started over as a Nazirite bearing the public humiliation of his failure. He could have been restored before God. Unfortunately, he did not choose to do so and the Philistines extracted a far greater price to eventually bring him to that place of repentance and reconsecration.

Impact on Me

In Greek mythology there are stories of the Sirens, beautiful women who by their mesmerizing song would lure mariners to their deaths by shipwreck on rocky shores. They symbolize the danger of temptation and the perils of giving in to seductive pleasures. Temptation sings a beautiful, sweet and hypnotizing song of promise and pleasure while in reality it draws us to destruction, away from our goal of sanctification, our desire to be holy, our commitment to follow, love and serve God well. We become distracted little by little until we find ourselves wandering, lost, weakened and ashamed. We get our eyes focused on that beautiful, sparkly, shiny thing and don’t notice until it is too late that we are being drawn into dangerous rocky areas that threaten shipwreck and death. We are already compromised, addicted, consumed by guilt and shame, fearful to admit what we have done, isolating ourselves from those who can love and support us.

Where are my Delilah’s, my sirens drawing me to sin and destruction? Am I wiser than Samson? Will I flee temptation rather than be drawn by its tempting siren song? Why would I turn my ear to it when I can instead choose to listen to the songs of grace, love and mercy that God sings over me as His child? Why do I find myself indulging my personal wants and desires like a spoiled child when I know they have no real eternal value and do not please my Father? I know that setting aside my wants, desires, and dreams to follow God’s dreams for me will bring real peace, joy, contentment. This is something my own efforts could never produce, and are worth whatever I perceive as the cost to me. Why would I ever run away with shame when I can repent and be restored – whatever the price to me?

Devotion

You are the Lord Most High, Almighty, Everlasting, Holy One. You are also my Redeemer, my Advocate, my Teacher, my Constant Companion throughout my life. You know every step I take, every decision I make, every sin I might try to hide. Give me discernment to recognize and resist my Delilah temptations, the song of the Enemy’s sirens leading to sin and destruction. I want to hear only the song You are singing over me (The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love He will no longer rebuke you but will rejoice over you with singing. Zephaniah 3:17). Lord, may I turn my ear and heart to Your song alone so I may please You in my journey. Make it so in Jesus’ name, I pray.