Christmas: January 4

Old Testament Lesson

Joshua 3:14-4:7

One of the things I love best about the Old Testament is that when God does something amazing, the people are always told to put up and alter or lay some stones some where. And when their children ask, why are there stones in the middle of the road, they can tell them about the mighty things that God has done. We need to remember what great things God has done for us. We re to place stones in our lives that call us to remember. We need to have markers in our lives so that we can remember what God has done for us and we can tell our children and grand children about how awesome God is. We cannot forget. That is why it is important for us to have rituals. One of the things in ministry that gives me the most joy is hearing a child say the Lord’s Prayer or the Apostle’s Creed. Because for that child, they have just built a stone in their life that will call them to remember. They will know that throughout their lives and it will call them to remember how good God is to them. Do you remember today? What to you have in your life that calls you to remember how good God has been to you?

New Testament Lesson

Ephesians 5:1-20

There is a sense of urgency to Paul in this text. We are to wake up! We are to watch! We are to be active, do our part. Christianity is not a passive thing; it is an active one. Faith is not something we have just by sitting a pew. Holiness is not obtained just by wanting it. We have to do our part to be where God wants us to be. Now, God can even use our mistakes, if we will allow. But, we must be active. We must wake up and look around. What sin is there, just below the surface? Get rid of it. Time is of the essence. Every minute we waste is a minute that we could use for God. But, first we have to want to be used by God. And that means truly having faith, truly giving Him control of your life, not just thinking that you’d like to do it one do. Do not confuse you desire to one day have faith with actually faith. Wanting it is not enough. We must awake! Arise! Seek after God.

Gospel Lesson

John 9:1-12; 35-38

The blind man, whose fault was it? Was he blind out of his own sin, or the sin of his parents? Jesus says neither. He was merely blind and Jesus was going to use him to show the glory and power of God. God can use anything. While this man didn’t do anything to cause his own blindness, God will use it. Not everything bad that happens to us is because of our sin. If I’m sitting in my house right now and the roof falls in on me, is that because of my sin? No. But, if I go out, rob a bank, and go to jail, is that because of my sin? Yes. Not everything that happens is because of something that we’ve done either good or bad. But God can use everything that happens to us, good or bad. Everything, God can use. We just have to let him. In Romans 8 it says that all things work to the good of those that love God and are called according to his purpose. All things can be used for God. Even sickness. Even failure. Even tragedy. Even pain. Even loss. All things can work to the good of those that love God. We just have to allow His grace to work in our lives. He cannot work if our hearts are hard. Will you allow Him to work in you today? Will you say yes to His grace in whatever way it is made known to you today? He has something amazing in store for us; we just have to let Him work.