2021-12-25
Hosea 14:8 TLV
The word “celebrate” means to rejoice, delight in, revel, and appreciate. Jack Hayford writes: “There is so much done in the name of Christmas that is neither pleasing nor honoring to Christ. Even so, I find myself doing battle…with…religious superstitions which argue against almost every observation of Christmas…against giving…against decorations, trees, or just plain fun, as though such participation defiled something holy. Such harsh debunking is nothing more than ‘holy humbug.’
A Christmas tree…is a specific statement…By means of this tree we are saying: We believe in celebration. We serve the God who ‘gives us richly all things to enjoy’ (1 Timothy 6:17 NKJV) and who through history assigned…sacred appointments of feasting and rejoicing…’great gladness’ (1 Chronicles 29:22 KJV)…
Although no one can make a ‘biblical case’ for Christmas trees, we gather around ours with joy. We see in its living branches a symbol of everlasting life given us because of Jesus’ death on the tree – whose naked crossbars Xed out death and ushered in forgiveness…and eternal hope. The lights…gleam a testimony of His Light-of-the-world glory. The ornaments reflect the decorative splendor with which His kindnesses adorn our lives. The star beams hope, with a heavenward ray, reminding us that from there He shall come again to receive us.”
As you gather around the tree this Christmas, don’t forget to celebrate the One who said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me…will have the light of life” (John 8:12 NIV).
Soul food: Isa 9:1-7; Matt 1:18-25; Micah 5:2-5a; Isa 7:14
2021-12-24
Luke 2:10 NIV
For many people Christmas is filled with dread instead of delight. Author Jon Walker writes this: “I’m sitting in a fast food restaurant observing a young girl celebrating an early Christmas with her mother. Her presents are spread out across the booth and she just said, ‘I miss you, Mommy.’ ‘I miss you too, Baby,’ her mother says. Beyond the booth…a woman casually, but carefully watches them. Using my journalist’s eye, I put it all together. The watching woman is a social worker supervising a structured visit for a mother and child who are doing their best to celebrate Christmas…a few minutes later foster parents arrive and take the little girl home. The mother leaves alone.
There’s a darker side to Christmas we rarely acknowledge. We create this fantasy that seldom matches reality, even in the best of homes…many Christmas memories are full of tension, not tinsel…the holidays are just another excuse for Mommy to get drunk, or Daddy to be with his new family…yet another reminder that the one we love is far away or perhaps never coming back…The suicide rate is extraordinarily high in December…depression as common as ‘Joy to the World’…more people hurt at Christmas than we initially imagine. For those tired of the hollow hope…of Christmas, the good news is, God is with us. Jesus came to earth to ‘bring…good news…for all the people.’
Regardless of your situation, Christmas is the best gift you’ll ever get, because: (1) it’s the costliest you’ll ever receive because it cost Jesus His life; (2) it’s the only gift that lasts forever; (3) it’s one you can enjoy for the rest of your life.”
Soul food: 1 Cor 4-6; Matt 1:12-17; Ps 117; Prov 31:18-21
2021-12-23
Proverbs 15:27 NKJV
J. Paul Getty’s estate exceeded four billion dollars. He was considered the richest man on earth. The Los Angeles Times quoted something Getty wrote: “I have never been given to envy, save for the envy I feel toward those people who have the ability to make a marriage work and endure happily. It’s an art I have never been able to master. My record: five marriages, five divorces. In short, five failures.”
The newspaper article continues: “He termed the memories of his relationship with his five sons ‘painful.’ Much of his pain has been passed on with his money. His most treasured offspring, Timothy, a frail child born when Getty was fifty-three, died in 1958 at the age of twelve, of surgical complications after a sickly life, spent mostly separated from his father who was forever away on business. Other members of the Getty family also suffered from tragic circumstances. A grandson, J. Paul Getty III, was kidnapped and held for a ransom of $2.9 million. When Getty refused to pay, they held the boy for five months and eventually cut off his right ear. Getty’s oldest son apparently committed suicide amid strange circumstances. Another son, Gordon Paul Getty, has been described as living a tortured existence. He was ridiculed in correspondence by his father and was the least favoured son. Similar sorrow has followed other members of this unfortunate family.”
Putting money first and family second make you nothing more than a wealthy failure. So if you have been sacrificing your family for your career, start making changes! Don’t look back, rich but regretting, having lived for the wrong things.
Soul food: 1 Cor 1-3; Matt 1:6b-11; Ps 113; Prov 31:14-17
2021-12-22
Deuteronomy 8:18 NKJV
Next to teaching your children how to walk with God, you will never teach them a more important life lesson than how to handle their money wisely. Dr. James Merritt writes: “We began teaching our kids early these principles of industry, honesty, and responsibility. Here are a few methods we used, which I recommend to you.
(1) Give your kids some jobs early on without pay, such as making up their beds, picking up their toys, and cleaning their rooms. Inspect their room each time, encouraging them as much as possible, but also letting them know the standard of quality that’s expected (no sloppy bed, toys left on the floor, etc.). This will begin to teach them the value of work, the fulfillment of doing a job well, and the discipline of following the commands of someone in authority.
(2) As your kids get older, choose some jobs they’re capable of doing (polishing shoes, washing the car, vacuuming the floor, etc.) and settle on fair compensation. This will begin to instruct them in the value of money and reinforce the rewards of a job well done. Again, have an understood standard of quality that’s expected, and don’t pay them until the job’s completed properly.
(3) Don’t give allowances or teach your children to expect them. Rather, teach them that money is earned through working for it. There’s nothing wrong with giving your child money out of love or as a reward (such as for good grades), but kids must learn the relationship between honest labor and just compensation.”
Bottom line: Those are three principles that will stand them in good stead throughout their entire lifetime.
Soul food: Malachi 1-4; Matt 1:1-6a; Ps 128; Prov 31:10-13
2021-12-21
Proverbs 10:22 NKJV
There are about five hundred Bible verses on prayer, and more than two thousand on handling money and possessions. It’s a make-or-break issue! It’s no surprise that money-related issues are often cited as a reason for divorce. And there’s good reason for this: money and stress often go hand in hand.
The Bible says, “The blessing of the Lord makes one rich.” Not only does God expect us to make money, but when we honor Him, He will help us to make more. But there is a right and a wrong way to do it. The Bible teaches that money should come by hard work. “He who has a slack hand becomes poor, but the hand of the diligent makes rich” (Proverbs 10:4 NKJV).
“Wealth gained by dishonesty will be diminished, but he who gathers by labor will increase” (Proverbs 13:11 NKJV). God expects those who “labor” to give a good day’s work, just as He expects those in management to pay a good day’s wage. Both labor and management are to make money. Labor helps management make a profit, while management helps labor make a salary. A profit well-earned and a salary honestly made are both pleasing to the Lord.
But your money must also be made by honest work. “He who oppresses the poor to increase his riches…will surely come to poverty” (Proverbs 22:16 NKJV). That’s a warning to those who rip people off by charging extortionate interest rates. Eugene Peterson paraphrases it this way: “Switching price tags and padding the expense account are two things God hates” (Proverbs 20:10 MSG). God makes it plain: Winners never cheat, and He will make sure cheaters never win!
Soul food: Zech 12-14; John 21:15-25; Ps 47; Prov 31:6-9
2021-12-20
Hebrews 5:14 NKJV
In the 1940s, Switzerland manufactured 80 percent of the world’s watches. Then in the 1960s, when an inventor presented a concept for a new type of watch to the leaders of a Swiss company, they rejected it. All the other Swiss companies he approached did the same. They lived by the philosophy, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!” Believing that his design had merit, the inventor took it to a company in Japan. The name of the company was Seiko, the design of the watch was digital, and guess what? Today 80 percent of watches sold worldwide are digital. One discernment-driven decision can change the course of your entire life and bless others.
One expert says, “Smart leaders believe only half of what they hear. Discerning leaders know which half to believe” (emphasis added). Here are two things you need to know about God-given discernment: (1) It’s shaped by Scripture. “For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word…But solid food belongs to those who are of full age [spiritually mature], that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil” (vv. 13-14 NKJV).
(2) It’s sharpened by use. The more you use it, the more seasoned you become. Will you sometimes make mistakes when it comes to exercising discernment? Yes, but like any muscle, the more you flex it, the stronger it grows. And here is an additional thought: The Bible refers to “discerning of spirits,” or attitudes and motivations (See 1 Corinthians 12:10). What a great advantage to have in life!
Soul food: Zech 9-11; John 21:1-14; Ps 12; Prov 31:1-5
