The tree is trimmed, the house is decorated on the outside, Christmas dishes are put in the cupboard to be used throughout the month of December, cards are addressed and ready to mail, and gift cards have been ordered from the YHPC kids for our grandkids. Looks like I’m ready for all things Christmas! But am I really?
I’ve done all the things that make my home look festive for the holiday, and we’ve sent our Christmas wishes to those people we hold dear. But is my heart ready to receive the gift of the Savior?
The answer is “NO,” UNLESS I am INTENTIONAL about spending time in the New Testament Scriptures that tell of the birth of Jesus Christ, the Newborn King, doing daily devotion time, and praying to the Father for ways that I can be a messenger spreading the news of the Baby King. Thinking about this, I began to think about God’s intentions.
In Matthew 1:20-21, God instructed a carpenter named Joseph, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She [Mary] will give birth to a Son, and you are to give Him the name JESUS, because He will save His people from their sins.”
In these two small verses, we see first, that God intended to entrust a man named Joseph to raise His very own Son. Second, we see that God intended to entrust a young woman named Mary to give a miracle birth to His very own Son, to nurture and raise Him, so that He would one day begin a ministry that would change the world for all time.
Thirdly, we see that God intended to reconcile all of humanity back to Himself, through the atoning work of His very own Son, Jesus.
God’s intentional plan was set, put into motion, and we are living it out today. What are our INTENTIONAL PLANS this Christmas season? As we prepare our homes and hearths for the warmth of Christmas, let us also not forget to prepare our hearts to receive our King.
My intentions are so good, please God help me to follow through as I should and do your will!
Merry Christmas,
Barbara & David McCall
