Christmas. It's Personal!

Unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior which is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2:11)

 

Sometimes in thinking about peace on a big place like earth and good will to a staggering number like all mankind, we can get lost in the shuffle of how personal  God intended Christmas to be. Jesus is a gift with your personal name written on Him. He came to earth for all humanity, but humanity is made up of individuals. And all that He is and all that He offers was intended to  meet your individual need to be 

 

forgiven, cherished, cleansed, purposed,

consoled, empowered,  healed, renewed,

 saved, encouraged, avenged, bought back, set free,

 and loved.

 

 

Perhaps it's not easy for you to feel like the one for which  the blessing of Christmas was intended. Maybe you feel  more like the slob randomly splashed by default because she happened to be standing in the right vicinity at the right time. But that is not how it is. Unto YOU a child was born, unto YOU a Son was given. Oh, please do not miss the precision with which God's love extends to you!

This season, view the Christmas story through the lens of a movie camera where you were the stolen princess Jesus came to rescue. King Herod was YOUR enemy because it was YOUR salvation Satan tried to prevent when Herod killed those babies.  YOUR salvation was in danger  until  God intervened by speaking to Joseph in a dream  to take YOUR Savior to safety in Egypt.

 This is not to steal any of the glory due Jesus, the centerpiece of Christmas.  But Jesus was not born to die for Nobody. He was born to die for YOU. Without a lovee there is no lover.  Grace is no big deal without someone in need of receiving it. Making Christmas personal delights the heart of God because  the love  boomerangs back to the Giver with gratitude, and the glory due His name overflows! 

Christmas is your story. Hallelujah!  Take it personal because that is the way God gave it. 

 



 

 







Changes in the Blog

Dear Friends,
First, I wish to say a heart-felt THANK YOU for taking time to read my blog entries each week. It means a lot to me to have your input as I seek to develop my writing.

  This blog is a work in progress. I am still working out the kinks. If you have already subscribed to have new posts come to your email, I want to say a double thanks!

NEWS ALERT:  I am changing the server that delivers those emails to you and I humbly ask that you RESUBSCRIBE in the window marked "Subscribe to DSFW".  The death of the other subscribe button is due in three (3) days, so please take a moment to go to devotionalspaforwomen.blogspot.com and subscribe in the new window if you wish to continue having this blog delivered to your email box.  Thisay only work on a computer, not on your phone.

Also, I have been advised to post later in the week instead of Monday or Tuesday. So I plan to make that change as well. Thursday-Sunday will be my new blog-post days.
  If you have questions about any of the above info or simply wish to say hello, you may email me at ordinerrygirl@gmail.com.

Sincerely,
Georgia Pointer

Frame Someone This Christmas

 "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost" (Luke 19:10)

 

 

I know it sounds illegal at first glance, but please read on.

 

 You will like it.  I know Jesus will.

 

When you are in your car this busy Christmas season, the traffic is going to be terrific!

 

What do you usually do in those long car lines? Fume? Stress? Make a list and check it twice?

 

I wish to suggest a more productive option.

 

 FRAME someone.

 

 

 Here's how: Glance in your rear view mirror at the person in the car behind you.  Notice how the mirror surrounds their face like a photo frame.  Take a moment to say a quick prayer  for that random individual. Pray they will come to know Jesus, the real meaning of Christmas. 

 

 God will hear your prayer. I know He will! It is not His will that anyone perish but that all will come to repentance( 2 Peter 2:9).

 

 You can't always know if the gift you buy  your loved ones will be just right. But you can be sure  Jesus  will LOVE LOVE LOVE your gift of  prayer for that stranger He came to earth to save. 

 

 You're going to be in the traffic anyway. Why not make it count for eternity?

 

Go ahead.

 

 Say Happy Birthday to Jesus as you frame all those  unsuspecting someones this Christmas season.

 

Merry Christmas!

 

Thanksgiving on the Flip Side

Two times this happened.

 

My three teenage sisters and I were home alone one night.  I have no idea what possessed her, but one of my siblings  looked out the back window. It was pitch dark back there, and she saw two eyes looking back at her.  A man was peeking in at us!

 

 Blood curdling scream…

 

 man ran and jumped the fence...

 

 we called the police...

 

 never found him.

 

 Another time-- same scenario-- this time a knock at the front door.

 

"Who is it?"

 

No answer.

 

Louder, "Who's there?"

 

Still no  answer.

 

We look out the window next to the door.  The knocker or knockers were careful to stand  close enough  to the door  to be out of sight. They hoped to entice us to open the door to see who they were.

Looking back, I realize it was probably one or more of the men who loitered at a house down the street. They knew our parents were not home. They hoped we young girls would open the door if they didn't answer us. I shudder to think what could have happened. One locked door stood between us and years of scars-spiritual, emotional, and sexual ones.

 

God is good.

 

Maybe this year has been a hard one for you.

 

 Someone wisely said that if you are upset about all the bad that happened this year, thank God for all that didn't.

 

 The enemy desires to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). He jiggles the door handles of every evil possibility to see which ones will open. Some did, but PRAISE THE LIVING GOD, others were  locked!

 

 Like the front and back doors at our house, God stood between you and all the negatives that could have entered your life but didn't.

 

It is good to thank God for all His  blessings, for the good He let in.

 

He truly is the one "who shuts and no one opens." (Revelation 3:7)

 

When you finish thanking Him for all the good He's brought into your life, thank Him again from the flip side of what He kept away.

 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

 

 

Talk About It: Sometimes when we have "near misses," it's like the enemy got a toe in the door but then God kicked him out and bolted the door. What nearly opened doors did God in His mercy close for you this year?

Got Faith Like Turnip Greens?

                    

Thanksgiving time reminds me of turnip greens.

 

 Mama would bring home "a whole mess" of them, and we girls gathered around  to pick them. I recall as a child thinking there was no way all those greens would fit in the pot. But once she put them in the boiling water (along with some fabulous ham hock) those greens would cook down to a fraction of their original size. A garbage bag full of greens would yield  about a stockpot full.

 Turnip greens are like faith.

 You think you have a lot till the hot water of hard times hits.

 What you have left is the true size of your faith.

 I am sad to say that my faith too often cooks down to a small bit. Thank God we only need faith the size of a grain of mustard seed to move a mountain, right?

 

It's natural to believe big when times are good. But how do we keep our faith from cooking down when trouble comes?

 

 It helps to realize that God never shrinks. Our faith is only as good as the size of our God.

 

When I feel my faith wilting, I run to  Scriptures like Jeremiah 32:27,   "Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for me?"

                                                                                  And

Numbers 23:19, "God is not a man that He should lie, nor a son of man that He should change His mind. Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?"

 

Hard times come to test our faith. Don't let yours cook down to nothing. Remind yourself of your God who never shrinks and pass the turnip greens!

 

Talk About It: What Bible verses do you cling to when your faith is wilting?

                                               

Don't Forget Your Underwear: The Most Overlooked Piece of the Armor of God

     "Put on the whole armor of God…."  Ephesians 6:11

 

If you are fighting with the devil, you better not forget your underwear.

 

 The apostle Paul said to put on the WHOLE armor of God so you can stand against the schemes of the devil. If you are at all familiar with spiritual warfare, you know about Ephesians 6, verses 11 and following.  God  lists the pieces of powerful  armor every soldier needs to fight and win.  Are you wearing it all?

 

The breastplate of righteousness?-Check.

 

Helmet of salvation?-Got it.

 

Sword of the Spirit and shield of faith?-Wouldn't dream of  leaving home without them.

 

Belt of truth?- Yep! 

 

Shoes of the preparation of the Gospel of Peace?- mmh-hmm!

 

Ready for battle?- Not quite.

 

 Notice in verse  18, Paul adds one more important piece of armor we tend to overlook. Prayer.

 

"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. "

 

 He was pretty thorough about the how and when of prayer, don't you agree?  If prayer is to be done on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests, it must be a pretty important piece of armor to put on every day...just like underwear.

 

Why is prayer like  underwear? Both provide comfort and protection.

 

  You can go out dressed to the hilt, but without your underwear, you are uncomfortable and unprotected. Everything else does not fit quite the way it should. Without prayer, the discomfort of fear and worry can set in.  You are exposed to the chafing effects of discouragement because communication with the Father is not there to protect you.

 

  You need prayer if you are going to win, Warrior Princess!

 

So before you go out into the world today to fight whatever battles Satan  has on his  roster for you, put on the full armor of God so you can win. 

 

Don't forget your underwear!

 

Talk About It: In what way does prayer comfort and protect you throughout your day?

It's Time to Stop Yawning!

Hebrews 11

 

 

Adventure. Don't you crave it?

 

 Is it possible to have real adventure as a follower of Jesus Christ? Or is it all just quiet prayers, submissive service, and meek conformity to a dull idea of biblical womanhood?

Adventure happens when you encounter something you did not expect...

 

 ...where the outcome is uncertain, and a task calls upon every ounce of strength you can muster...

 

...where the stakes are high, but the reward is even higher. 

 

Can a Christian woman experience such a life without violating her femininity and her love for God?

Absolutely!

 

In fact, I dare say that if your walk with Christ makes you yawn, it's not His fault. The saints in Hebrews 11 experienced joy, heartache, and amazing miracles, but no one would describe their life as a yawn. By faith, they obeyed God and lived a life of amazing adventure.

 

 Could it be He has called you to walk the wild and scary road of obedience, but you responded by handing Him a dog-eared profile of a woman who has credentials YOU don't possess? Is it possible you sculpted a more beautiful, higher educated,  more experienced, and all around non-you  woman and told God to ask HER instead?

God calls every believer to a life of adventure. What other protagonist has the devil himself as her nemesis? Is there any other heroine who has the super-powers of the Holy Spirit for doing great exploits? 

 What other life of adventure can be more exciting than rescuing real people from a literal hell?

 What heart would not beat wildly at doing something she was afraid to do but didn't dare not do for love of Someone Else?

 

Dear Sister, the Christian life is a swashbuckling, mind-blowing, lionhearted life. Are you not living it?

 

If not, may I suggest you tear up that dog-eared list of excuses you gave God last time He told you to do something that scared you to death?

 

 That ideal, more qualified woman you sculpted is lying in a pebbly heap. What happened to her? God blew her to smitherines. He doesn't do perfect people, especially not ones we construct. He uses real people like  you.

Can you see it? It's His great big hand reaching for you. Will you take it? He is still inviting you to show, in your own unique way, what the life of a Warrior Princess looks like. 

 

Stop the yawning and step up. Your adventure with Him awaits!

Talk About It: Is there an adventure God is calling you to embrace?