Could God Do That in Our Family?

By Art Fulks –

A friend recently said it may have been the most difficult year he has ever experienced. This seems a resounding theme with many, including myself. As we approach the year’s end and reflect, we can
often get lost in the narrowness of our personal journey. For perspective, God directed me to a unique text.

As I looked for a fresh approach to the Christmas story this year, I came to Matthew chapter one. My eyes went immediately to the subtitle at verse eighteen, “The Conception and Birth of Jesus”. As I read, the Holy Spirit reminded me of 2 Timothy 3:16, that ‘all Scripture is inspired and profitable.’

It is possible that the most unread Scriptures are the genealogies. But repenting and refocusing, I returned to verse one, “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.” I was so excited that I could not wait to continue. (Just kidding.) Certainly this was not a great attitude. But what I knew about God’s Word allowed me to continue. And He did something incredible in my heart.

As I came to each name, God seemed to make me pause and ponder the life of that individual. Some experienced significant tragedy and failure. For sure, many lived through years more difficult than my own. Most had no ‘Red Sea parting’ experiences. Some lived in dark days where the hand of God was not evident at all. Most were ordinary people, Jews and Gentiles, men and women.

However, verse sixteen confirms that God was at work in the good and bad to accomplish His redemptive plan. He was bringing about the birth of His only Son. Jesus Christ was born of a virgin, lived a life we could not live, died to pay a debt we could not pay, and rose from the dead to secure an eternal victory we could not win.

I know my family will not be used to bring about the birth of another Savior this Christmas. Jesus is the One and only. But could God use the ups and downs of this year to bring about the realization of the Gospel in the life of someone this Christmas, allowing my life and my family to be part of His redemptive plan? With all my heart I believe this to be true. Could God do that in your family? Certainly!

BIBLE VERSE: “…and to Jacob was born Joseph the husband of Mary, by whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.” (Matthew 1:16 NASB)

The Little Things Do Count: Integrity

By Carin LeRoy –

Recently I went through a drive-thru and ordered lunch. When the clerk handed my food to me, I said, “You returned too much change.” Then I handed him the extra money. Surprised he said, “Wow, Ma’am, thank you very much.” Only after I called it to his attention did he realize his mistake. It would have been easy to drive away with the extra money. Certainly, over the years, I have been shortchanged on poorly prepared or missing food. No one would have known, and I would have $5.00 more in my pocket.

But God would have known. Doesn’t that matter?

Do our lives display integrity? The world has influenced God’s people in many ways: Are we diligent at work, or are we a slacker? We inform the clerk if we’ve
been short-changed, but do we return it when given too much? Do office
supplies end up at home and we fail to return them?  Have we called in sick when we really plan a day off? Do we borrow a book or item from a friend and never return it? Do we make a habit at work to check Facebook throughout the day or text family and friends?

In a culture that chooses to think nothing of these indiscretions, have we, as believers, lost our sense of integrity that the little things do count? In the Old Testament, we see a description of Job as “blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil,” (Job 1: 1 NIV). It wasn’t that Job was without sin, but his life was marked by honor and truth. He lived his life by God’s standards, not man’s. People in the community couldn’t fault how he lived his life. He was loved and respected. His fear of God kept him reaching for the highest standard.

A person of true character is the person who chooses to do right, even when no one is looking. It is a life is ruled by integrity and fear of God. His standards are high – even if it goes against cultural norms. Let’s be people of integrity as we live our lives, not only because others are watching but because we have a God that desires us to be blameless and upright people.

PRAYER: Lord, make me a person of integrity. Let my life be marked by character even in the small things I encounter each day. Keep me mindful that I don’t live by cultural norms but by the standards You have set forth in Your Word.

BIBLE VERSE: “My feet have closely followed His steps; I have kept to His way without turning aside. I have not departed from the commands of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my daily bread” (Job 23: 11,12 NIV).

Tact or Fact?

By Hally Franz –

The pantry was bare, the freezer slim-pickin’s, and school lunches were getting really lame. I could put off grocery shopping no longer. So, without a list, my kids and I headed out for food. While taking children to the grocery store has its drawbacks, mine are now old enough to be great fetchers and cart pushers. Since provisions had gotten sparse at home, I told my shopping partners they could each pick a few “special” items for lunches.

In case you haven’t noticed, kids like food that comes in unusual forms. I think this especially applies to girls. My daughter loves fruit that comes rolled rather than in traditional piece format. She likes cheese already chunked or sticked; sliced cheese is yesterday’s dairy. While these fun, fancy food items often cost more, surviving my shopping excursion was worth it.

As expected, Rosaline came forth with a few lunch goodies. However, I was surprised when Ivan, my fourteen-year-old son, presented a giant bottle of mouthwash for my approval. He said classmates had informed him he had morning breath, so he wanted to get it. By all means, get the mouthwash!

As we continued our shopping, I noticed Ivan didn’t seem offended by this charge. Perhaps, he has grown to understand that, like him, his peers are not always highly sensitive. It seemed that he was just accepting this as an observation from his friends—one that should be considered and acted upon.

While that observation didn’t devastate Ivan, it would upset any adult. Likewise, it is absolutely not something we would share with a friend or peer. A counselor friend of mine once told me she thought validation was the most important element in effective counseling. I tended to agree with her. It is my nature to soothe, affirm and reassure those in my circle, but rarely am I moved to challenge or criticize another person.

I wonder if that is always the right approach. Kindness is important, but so is honesty. Do we have a tendency to validate erroneous thoughts and feelings when we should be calling them out? Is it kindness or fear that keeps us from correcting another person’s sinful behavior and beliefs? Maybe, it is kinder to worry less about tact and more about fact, sharing with others what is true, and giving them the opportunity to consider and act upon that.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, provide me with the words and manner to constructively challenge sinful attitudes and deeds in those I encounter, so that I may help others come to Christ.

BIBLE VERSE: “Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should” (Ephesians6:19-20 NIV).

A Grand Event

By Aubrey Spencer –

Nana and Papaw’s house is the greatest place on earth. At least it is for my children. No matter how often my parents see our kids (which is quite frequent now that we live only ninety miles away), they treat it as a grand event. Oliver and Ava
are showered with attention and sugared with kisses. There is no doubt, they are both loved and adored.

The last time we visited there, I tucked Oliver in his bed for a nap, and thought back to the very first time we took him to his grandparents’ house. He was a few months old, and we lived thirteen hours away. So it’s not too surprising that it felt like a grand event. My parents were over-the-top excited for their grandson to be there. They told everyone they knew that he was coming. They bought him a new wardrobe. They bought him a great little mobile for his car seat (which came in quite handy on the thirteen hour drive home.) They also went out the day after we arrived to purchase him a totally tricked out exersaucer activity center, because they said he “needed” it. But the biggest display of grandparent craziness was Oliver’s room. That’s right – Oliver had his very own bedroom at Nana and Papaw’s house. (Both kids have their own rooms there now.) His room housed a crib bought just for him, complete with adorable construction truck bedding. Everywhere we looked, we saw diapers, wipes, trucks, decorations and more. They went nuts. We melted with gratefulness. There were even blocks with his named spelled out sitting on one of the bookshelves. It was too much! Talk about making us feel special. Oliver was a blessed little boy to have grandparents like that. And now Ava gets to enjoy the same sort of royal treatment.

I started thinking about my parents and their excitement over Oliver’s first visit. I wondered how many of us live with such excitement about our God. Does He consume our thoughts and dictate our actions? Do we smile every time we think about Him? Do we long to spend time with Him, eager to be in His presence? Do we tell everyone we know about Him? Do we clean out areas in our lives to make room for Him to dwell there? In fact, does He have His very own place in our hearts, or does He have to share space with other “gods” in our life? Is He the center of our attention? Is His name written on us, displayed proudly, like the blocks in Oliver’s room?

What a powerful reminder for me to check my heart, my priorities, and my excitement level for my God. What about you?

PRAYER: Lord, I long to fill my heart and my life with Your presence, Your will, and Your Word. But, I must confess that I can easily allow myself to crowd You out of my thoughts and my actions when I put other things before You. Help me to treat every moment with You as a grand event. Remind me to share my excitement about You with the world around me.

BIBLE VERSE: “Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him music and song. For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods” (Psalm 95:1-3 NIV).

Seeds of Faith

By Cheri Cowell –

In my jewelry box is a tarnished and not-very-beautiful piece of jewelry. If someone broke into my home, they wouldn’t consider this a valuable treasure. But it is to me. It is a tiny mustard seed in a tiny glass ball on an inexpensive chain. The chain is too small to fit around my neck, yet I keep it to remind me of the lesson it brought. On the day of my confirmation, my grandfather gave it to me after sharing Jesus’ parable of the mustard seed. He told me that even with a small amount of faith, I had enough faith to become all God wanted me to be. Later, in my turbulent teenage years I needed that promise. That necklace was a tangible reminder that regardless of how small my faith seemed, it was enough.

The mustard seed is the smallest of all seeds yet produces one of the largest trees in the Middle East. Like that seed, our faith is worthless unless the Father feeds it. When we come to Jesus in our alone time He feeds us. In the quiet, He can explain unspeakable things and help us to do, be, and have all He has ordained for us. In that stillness, God turns our mustard seeds into giant trees of faith.

PRAYER: I praise You, God, for the gift of faith. Help me believe that the little amount of faith I hold is enough to help me become what You have planned for me since the beginning of time. Help me to set aside time to be quiet and listen for all the things You want to show me.

BIBLE VERSE: “Again he said, ‘What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade’” (Mark 4:30-34  NIV).

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