“GLORY ASLEEP IN THE HAY”

            Saturday morning, as our choir recorded a DVD and completed the dress rehearsal for the Christmas production this short, but profound phrase from the practice remained lodged in my brain.  

            Consider with me, the all-powerful all-knowing, God who was and is and is to come was sleeping, as a baby, in common, smelly, itchy hay!  If you really think about it, how can you wrap your mind around a scene like that?   I confess I can’t.   Yet, I’ve noticed some interesting things about this picture.

            First, Glory is asleep in an everyday stinking irritating circumstance of life.   Do you ever have any of those?   Our nephew, Joe recently had a baby girl, Isabella, who took a long time getting here.  I joked with Joe, why she would choose not to come out.  If you were Isabella, why would you decide to venture into this harsh, fowl-smelling, and cold-hearted world when she could just remain snug, warm, well-fed, and secure right where she was?  In Isabella’s case, labor had to be induced.   Of course, this begs the question – What induces your labor?

            Second, sleeping implies that, Jesus was at peace with His circumstance.  Peace is something that is often hard to pin down.   It’s easy to wish that all of our problems would simply disappear and then we would have peace.  Right?   How sad that, new problems often pop up before the old troublesome ones are resolved.   If, I’m not clinging to Christ and depending upon Him for direction, what hope do I have in weathering the many storms of life?

            Finally, I come to see that “Glory Asleep in the Hay,” is just one snapshot in the journey of Christ’s life.  Perhaps, even as a tiny child, Glory knew who He was.   I have no hope in finding peace to cope with those people and circumstances that get on my last nerve, unless I’m willing to abandon my justifiable resentments, anger, and pride.   So, I make a choice to be cared for and to cling to this little infant and His supreme message of love, as my only hope for peace this Christmas.   As each of you move into this final week of preparations, I pray you will find peace and “Glory Asleep in the Hay.”

At His Feet:
 
            The sun can have unusual effects upon landscapers, because we spend so much of our time exposed to it.   One such fall-out for me occurred in my mid-forties when, I had to have cataracts removed from both my eyes.   I’ll never forget the day I left the crowded surgeon’s office (filled with elderly people) each of us wearing those stupid nerdy glasses that looked worse than the kind they hand out in 3-D movies.   Yet, when my eyes adjusted, it was as if the whole world had been driven through a car wash.   The ordinary plants, trees, and flowers, I had worked with each day had become dull in comparison to the brilliant shimmering ones that now flashed before my new eyes.    

             I wonder if that might be how the immoral woman in Luke 7 might of felt, when she realized what Jesus had done for her.   The Pharisees, seated around the table, wanted Him to condemn her as a sinner.   Instead, Jesus used the humble act of the immoral woman anointing His feet with expense perfume, weeping, and then drying His feet with her hair as a lesson in true worship. 

            Perhaps, many of us, long time Christians, forget that we were not born into Christianity.   Yes, we might have been following Jesus for quite a while, but I wonder if our image and appreciation of Him has diminished or become cloudy.   It’s too easy for us veteran Christians become caught up in tedious practices of our faith and neglect the person of Christ himself.  He is our Savior and Redeemer!   We may not have been what the old folks once called “an especially wicked sinner,” yet just one of our careless sins would have been enough to send Jesus to the cross. 

            I challenge you to catch a glimpse of the huge debt of sin Christ purchased to restore fellowship for us with the Father.   Break out of the monotonous dry modes of personal worship you have used in the past and offer our Savior fresh extravagant worship that costs you something.  See Him for who and ALL that He is!  

                                                                                                   Snake Crushing:

            I don’t give much thought to the snakes they call black racers, so long as I’m riding on my mower or else have an edger or weed-wacker in-hand.  It’s those brown ones, with the yellow stripes, which glide on the water.   Look out!   (Not to mention, those other ones who shake and rattle their tails.)   

            Although the Bible compares Satan to a snake, the book of Romans assures us that the God of peace will soon crush him under our feet.   Are you ready for that day?  Do you ever tire of the devil’s annoying attempts to get in the way of your relationship with God?  In Hebrew 2:14-15, we find because of Jesus’ sinless life He became our perfect sacrificial offering to God the Father, allowing us to experience a warm continuous relationship with Him.   Even though Satan had power over death, don’t forget Jesus’ death and resurrection left Satan powerless.   

            I John 3:8, reminds us that Jesus purpose for coming to the earth was to destroy the works of Satan.  It’s almost amusing to see the devil’s continued attempts to thwart Jesus ministry.   Our Savior never recoiled.   Instead, he either resisted or simply dismissed Satan.   

            Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that Satan isn’t cleaver, powerful or influential.  He’s brilliant, yet he’s no match for his Creator.   In James 4:7 we’re told to just “submit to God, resist the devil and he will flee,”(NIV).    Every Christian has the power to keep the enemy of our souls under our feet.

            “Our Father, today we thank you Jesus.   Now through the power of your Holy Spirit, working in us, may we be strengthened and propelled to live God honoring lives.   In the Mighty Name of Jesus we pray.   Amen.”