Umbrella
I find it very difficult to buy gifts for friends and family. Others often seem to find such lovely and unusual gifts but somehow I resort to buying something practical and most times the gift I buy is something that I would like to receive for myself. And you won’t find a more practical gift than an umbrella! Umbrellas tend to break quite easily if it’s very windy and don’t we have a bad habit of forgetting them on the bus or losing them at work. So I know an umbrella will always be a useful gift.
And in a way an umbrella is also quite a novelty to me. I was born and brought up in South Africa and for the past thirty odd years we lived up on the Highveld near Johannesburg where we have summer thundershowers and then not much rain for the rest of the year. Yet when those huge raindrops come down in a downpour that only lasts a few minutes, it’s important to have a really strong and reliable umbrella. And for the rest of the year when the sun beats down, one often sees folks walking under the shelter of a golf umbrella just to keep out of the blistering heat.
Reminiscing like this brings to mind how over the many years that I have been a Christian I have proved the faithfulness of God when He promises in the Scripture that He is our shelter and protection. The evidence of God’s leading and directing me is so easy to see as I look back over my life. He has planned my path but how often His plan has had to take me into a cul-de-sac so that I would have to stop and acknowledge the things in my life that were taking me far away from God. At these painful times I have had to turn around and change direction. Yet God has continued to keep me – He is faithful when I have been unfaithful and I owe everything that I have to His love and intervention in my life. I mean that! I really owe everything – a wonderful husband and good marriage, great children and a happy home, health and a very satisfying job and amazing hope for the future. Our lives are truly a great adventure when we acknowledge Him as Supreme and obey His Commandments.
Sometimes we have the mistaken idea that because God loves us and has called and chosen us to be His own, that as Christians our lives are supposed to be a comfortable ride all the way to heaven. But where do we get such strange and unrealistic ideas from? Jesus never said anything like that to the rich young ruler who approached Him and asked, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He told Jesus that he had kept all the commandments. Jesus’ reply was, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.” But the price was too high and the young man walked away from Jesus sorrowful.
Jesus often told his disciples that they should not be afraid – that He would be with them always. He said that they would be persecuted and badly spoken of. He never said their lives would be easy but He said that they should rejoice when they were called to suffer for their faith. Jesus knew what Peter would do when he was put to the test and Jesus didn’t shield Peter from denying his Lord. Jesus told him, “But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.”
Storms do come and we need shelter during the deluge. We experience scorching heat and unbearable dryness at times. Christians face the same difficulties as other folk but we know that the Lord is with us, reminding us not to be afraid, encouraging us to look to Him for strength to carry on and to know that His grace is sufficient for us in every situation. Whatever we need for our daily walk with God, He Himself has provided for us.
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7)
At this time of the year we are reminded of Jesus coming to earth as a baby - entrusted to the care of Mary and Joseph. There wasn’t the fanciest of receptions for the Son of God – imagine Joseph desperately looking for shelter because his young wife was about to deliver her first baby. And soon afterwards, Joseph was warned in a dream that his family was in danger because Herod wanted to destroy any threat to his throne. So there was no opportunity for Mary to show off her new baby to all the family and friends in Nazareth. No! Just a long donkey ride and months of exile as the little family escaped to Egypt to protect the baby Jesus.
What a privilege is ours that the King of Glory came to earth in order to die as the perfect, unblemished sacrifice that would satisfy the wrath of God towards us and make it possible for us to be saved from the penalty of death that was due to us as sinners. His Spirit works in us and changes our hearts and minds so that day by day we become more like Jesus in our thoughts and actions.
The apostle Paul exhorts us in Philippians 2 from verse 5
"5) Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,
6) who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,
7) but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.
8) And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
9) Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,
10) that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,
11) and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
12) Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;
13) for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure."
Away in a Manger
Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,
The little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet head.
The stars in the sky looked down where He lay,
The little Lord Jesus, asleep on the hay.
The cattle are lowing, the Baby awakes,
But little Lord Jesus, no crying He makes;
I love Thee, Lord Jesus, look down from the sky
And stay by my cradle till morning is nigh.
Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask Thee to stay
Close by me forever, and love me, I pray;
Bless all the dear children in Thy tender care,
And fit us for Heaven to live with Thee there.
