The Gathering Place Where Family Matters

“Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary” (Luke 1:26-27)

What a glorious appointment!
The angel came at the appointed time (1:26a).
The angel came to the appointed town (1:26b).
The angel spoke to the appointed target (1:27).

Gabriel was sent. Isn’t it a blessing indeed to see the many details for which the Lord took care in the announcing of His coming Son? Nothing was left to chance. Everything was planned. This is a great truth for you and me today. As we yield to the Lord and ask Him to guide our lives, it is a joy and blessing to know that He is directing and working out the entire plans and situations of our lives.

Recently a lady turned and wished me “good luck.” Friends, I want to tell you that I am so happy that I don’t live by luck, not even “good” luck. It is a blessing to know that we live by our Father’s good plans.

For today: This is what I sincerely am saying to our Lord. I am so glad that you are God and I am not. I will trust You today.

“And His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor” (Isaiah 9:6).

Isaiah prophesied that the Promised One would be called “Wonderful” which has to do with being “amazing, miraculous.” He would also be known as the “Counselor” which means “one who advises or guides.”

What an amazing, miraculous Guide to Whom we belong. He is a wonderful Counselor in the way that He comforts (Isaiah 49:13), corrects (2 Timothy 3:16), convinces (2 Timothy 1:12), and converts (Ephesians 1:7).

In this very busy time of the year, don’t lose track of the fact that our Counselor is wonderful. How will this affect your life today?

Here’s what I am thinking: Everything about You is wonderful, Lord. Everything!

“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given” (Isaiah 9:6).

“I hate Christmas time,” a haggard-looking woman said to the man ahead of her in the grocery line.

The rather shocked man turned and looked back at the disheveled woman and asked, “Why would you hate such a special time of the year?”

With almost a look of disdain, her response was, “It’s not such a wonderful time of the year to me. You must be one of those religious people that make a lot of money at Christmas.”

The kind-hearted man stopped placing grocery items on the belt as he turned to speak directly to her. “I don’t make lots of money at Christmas. I’m not even a religionist. But I do have a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ who left His glories in Heaven to come and be born in a manger in Bethlehem. He perfectly grew into manhood without sin of His own to go to a cross in Jerusalem to die for my sin, and three days later He rose from the dead. I have come to place my trust in Him alone for my salvation. You see, at this time of the year I especially remember that ‘Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given!’ So it is a special time of the year because of the special Person I remember and love.”

I love his answer to the lady. Now, how about you? Is your Christmas a time of focus on the child born and son given?

If you know the Lord Jesus: Then you can say that we are indeed a blessed people. Very blessed.

Conflicts, skirmishes, terrorist attacks, full blown wars and a country deeply divided over many issues surely describe the scene that surrounds us. Our hearts break when we hear of the terrible suffering of people who were doing nothing other than living out their lives.

Without trying to be dramatic, I have to tell you that Isaiah’s announcement stirs my heart and brings me to earnestly desire the day when His titles will be fully realized on this planet. Let me share the verse and then a couple of thoughts for us today.

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, 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. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this” (Isaiah 9:6-7).

Think of it! He’s the Prince of Peace. The government will be upon His shoulders. The increase of His government and peace will be without end.

The next event on God’s prophetic time table will be the Rapture of the Church (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).

Following this will be a seven-year period of time called the tribulation (Daniel 9:25-27; Revelation 6-18).

At the end of the tribulation period, the Lord Jesus will return and set up His 1,000-year Kingdom on earth (Revelation 19-20).

Following the 1,000 year Kingdom on earth, the Lord Jesus will usher His people into the joyousness of eternity with Him (Revelation 21-22).

There will be peace in the future. There will be a government of righteousness in the future. We believers will be with Him forever.

But what about today? Let’s chat more about this tomorrow. I can’t wait to share with you the conversation at the grocery store checkout!

Let me send you on your way with this little thought:

A wonderful promise that’s truly divine,
God’s wonderful peace can surely be mine.
To know Christ as my very own Savior and Lord
Brings peace to me as He’s loved and adored.

I’m thinking of a word today. While it is not commonly used, it does fit our Daily Prescription quite well. I’m not sure if I ever heard it used before. It came up on my Dictionary.com email.

It’s the word dacker. This is a verb that means “to totter or stagger.”

As a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, we live opposite of the word dacker. We do not stagger spiritually. We walk!  The word walk means “to make one’s way; to progress along; to conduct one’s self.” Think of what Paul told the Ephesian believers!

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).

“I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called” (Ephesians 4:1).

“Walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour” (Ephesians 5:2).

Now that’s just what I need today. As I grow older, my footing isn’t always the best. But as I grow older, my spiritual footing can grow stronger and more firm all the time. Oh, how I need the Lord Jesus and His strength each day. How about you?