'Tis the Season

1Corinthians 2:14 - But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him...

There are times that it doesn't take much to make me giddy. Usually that happens when after reading or writing something, God speaks about it later to me in another way.

Today Oswald Chambers spoke volumes in My Utmost for His Highest devotion. He wrote about our redemption. He specifically stated it is God who creates the need within us to desire Him. I have heard it said that He created a God-sized hole in our hearts that only He can fill.

God does not force us to receive Him. But He is constantly after us in some way to notice Him. Who created this world and all that's in it? The next time you see a sunrise or sunset too beautiful for words, think of the Creator. Why do you suppose we have so many beautiful things in this world, or amazing things? It's so that we can know we've seen that there is no doubt there is a Creator. His glory is revealed in all things.

I have said before that we are nothing apart from God. We are dead until we have received life in Him as our personal Lord and Savior. It's not about a denomination or a church. It's about a one-on-one relationship with God. It's about our asking Him into our lives. And that's the main point: we must ask. It's an action we must take. Being born again in the spirit as the Word tells us, is the only way. Jesus said "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Later He said "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." And a third time He said "Do not marvel that I said to you, You must be born again." (John 3:3, 5, 7) When God wants to get our attention, He will repeat Himself.

We are born physically but it is a spiritual redemption we must receive. It is the action of our asking God for this redemption. I lived more than half my life without hearing this. I knew little about "born again Christians" but I didn't like, at the time, their insistence upon this, being told what I must do. It's because I was blind and deaf at that time. But God kept working on me behind the scenes until I knew exactly what I needed to do and at the right time. He will get us to a place in our lives where we are searching for answers, searching for relief, searching for joy and then He speaks to our spirits and we respond.

We are in the Christmas season. It is an excellent time to search for the true meaning of Christmas. It's not all about what we want. It's what God wants for us and what He wants to do for us. He wants us to see and understand and know intimately why He sent His Son to this earth. We need to embrace the true meaning. The greatest gift we can give is the gift of Jesus...the gift of salvation...the gift of eternal life. Christ came to earth to live, die and basically be born again through His resurrection. Look at it this way...we came to earth to live and to die. And that's just what will happen without Jesus as the Center of our lives. When He becomes our Center, our Redemption, our Savior we will be resurrected as well. We will rise from the dead as Jesus was...to be with Him.

Chambers also said "Nothing can satisfy the need but that which created the need. This is the meaning of Redemption--it creates and it satisfies." God created us so we could have fellowship with Him. He sent His Son for the act of this redemption. No need in our lives will be satisfied until we reach out to God for it. 

Don't let another year go by without reaching for this wonderful gift. The Gift of Jesus Christ. Remember the Christmas song the Little Drummer Boy? He had no gift to bring for the newborn king. Jesus does not need to receive a gift, but He gladly gives one in return. The best gift He can receive is our love and our hearts. We need not be perfect to come to Him. We need not clean ourselves up. We can go to Him as sinful as we are and He will do the proper work! 

That's what Christmas is all about...the Gift that keeps on giving...Jesus. 

2Corinthians 9:15 - Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!