Vanity of Vanities

"Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity." 

Ecclesiastes 1:2

I went and had my hair colored yesterday.  I decided to go back to my 'pre-Covid' days and wash that gray right out of my hair! Since I had posted about a really bad haircut a while back, I decided to post about a really great color! 

I had been referred to a new stylist and decided to take my chances.  With a picture from my past and a prayer heaven bound I took the plunge.

I was glad I did.

Now, I can conjure up great reasons for getting my hair colored; about how our bodies are the Temple of God, and how we ought to represent our Lord by looking nice, but when I walked out of the salon yesterday and got into my car to drive home, I whispered, 'Oh vanity of vanities!'

There is nothing of eternal value by getting my hair colored yesterday...

    but there is eternal value in answered prayer...

        Thank you, Lord...

            But that's just me!

        

A Child of the King

"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:" Romans 8:14-16

Every morning before my bible reading and prayer time, I sing a hymn.  This morning's hymn was, A Child of the King.  As I sang each word, verse by verse and then the chorus, my heart grew.  By the time I sang the last word, my heart was full and overflowing with gratefulness.

I'm a Child of The King!

Sometimes in the mess of everyday life, I forget that I'm a child of The King.  My bank account is low, I feel like I don't belong anywhere; my four walls of my tiny house seem to be closing in.  And then through the words of a simple hymn, God reminds me of Who I am because of Who He is!  I'm a child of The King!

My bank account may be low, but my Father's coffers are full and His riches are untold!

I may feel like a stranger, an outcast and like I don't belong, but I've been adopted and I'm accepted in the beloved! "To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved."

Ephesians 1:6

My house may be small, but it's warm and contains all I need for my family and friends to gather for food and fellowship while I wait for my mansion on high that my Father is preparing for me!

"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And wither I go ye know, and the way ye know." Words of Jesus, John 14:1-4

That you God for reminding me today, that I belong to you, and I am your child.

    All Glory to God...

        I'm a child of The King....!

            But that's just me!

"Child of God, you cost Christ too much for Him to forget you." Charles Spurgeon

X-MAS

"For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord."

Luke 2:11

It's begun.  The battle of Salutations.  "Merry Christmas!" or "Happy Holidays!" 

But there is another battle that wages during this time of year:  "Christmas!" or "X-MAS!"

At least I assumed it was another battle.  I become irritated every time I see 'X-MAS' instead of 'Christmas.'  Do you?  Every time I see it, I think, 'The world is erasing Christ from Christmas!'  But are they?

It was time to finally research this out.

I was surprised by what I found.

According to Dictionary.com "the abbreviation predates, by centuries, the gaudy advertisements. It was first used in the mid-1500's. X represents the Greek letter Chi, the initial letter in the word, Xpiotos.

(Christos) Xpiotos means 'Jesus Christ.' 'X' has been an acceptable representation of the word of Christ for hundreds of years. Other abbreviations for Christ include Xt and Xp, the P here representing the Greek letter rho, the source of our letter R.  A stylized version of the Greek chi (X) and the rho (P) is a symbol of Christ called a Christogram.  Just as the dignified terms Xpian and Xtian have been used in place of the word Christian."

That explains the X.  Now the MAS-

Dictionary.com continues, " The -mas in Xmas comes from the Old English word for mass, as in a church service, especially the Roman Catholic Church."

And there you have it, a little history lesson for today.

I confess, even though I now know the definition behind the abbreviation, I will still choose 'CHRISTMAS!' 

Not everyone will research the meaning behind the things they see, and I don't want any confusion when it comes to my faith in Christ and why I celebrate Christmas each year.

For me, I choose, 'Merry Christmas! '..

    No abbreviations, no shortcuts...

        Just Christ...

            But that's just me!

" A little child, a shining star, A stable rude, a door ajar.

Yet in that place, so crude, forlorn, the Hope of all the world was born!" Anonymous

    

The Wonders of God

"And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for to morrow the LORD will do wonders among you." Joshua 3:5

An interesting thing was about to happen to the children of Israel.  A miracle was about to occur; but before the miracle, the people were required to do something.

They were to sanctify themselves.

"Because this would be a spiritual battle, Joshua required Israel to make spiritual preparations.  Sanctify yourselves means they were to separate themselves from common things to focus on the LORD, and to see that the LORD would do wonders among them." Guzik

Just as God had allowed the children of Israel to walk on dry land through the Red Sea as Moses held up his rod, God was going to allow the children of Israel to walk on dry land through the Jordan River as soon as the soles of the priests' feet rested in the waters.

Sanctification =The Wonders of God.

I think we miss a lot of the wonders of God because we are not looking in the right direction, (Joshua 3:3) when we have unconfessed sin in our lives or when we have worldly dust clinging to our clothing. 

"Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless, and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. James 1:27"

Charles Spurgeon once said, "I would like to see Christians, not kept in a glass case away from trial and temptation, but yet covered with an invisible shield, so that, wherever he went, he would be guarded and protected from the evil influences that are in the world in almost every place."

If I want to see the wonders of God in my life...

    I must separate myself from the world and worldly things...

        And it will be worth it...

            But that's just me!

"The glory of God always comes at the sacrifice of self."

A.W. Tozer

        

Do I Glow?

"But when Moses went in before the LORD to speak with him, he took the vail off, until he came out. And he came out, and spake unto the children of Israel that which he was commanded. And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face shone: and Moses put the vail upon his face again, until he went in to speak with him." Exodus 34:34-35

"The face of Moses shone because he had long looked upon the face of God." Spurgeon

I love this account!  The first thing I thought of when I read these two verses today was that Moses removed his vail when he spoke with God.  I'm reminded of the Hymn, 'Nothing Between my soul and My Saviour!'

God sees us for who we are. Nothing is hidden from Him.  Moses had a personal, intimate relationship with God, and Moses removed all barriers.

When I commune with God, I don't want anything between Him and me either.  Have I confessed my sin? Am I trying to hide myself from him?

After Moses communed with God, his face radiated with the glory of God!

There is something about being in the presence of God Almighty that will change you!

Do people know when I've spent time with my Lord?

After reading this account I immediately thought of the birth announcement of Jesus!

"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will towards men." Luke 2:8-14

Did you see it?  When the angel of the Lord proclaimed his message, 'the glory of the Lord shone round about them." And if the glorious light of God's glory shone because of one angel's presence, can you imagine the light surrounding the multitude of the heavenly host as they praised God?!

When you are in the presence of God, you will reflect His glory!

When you have spent time with the Lord in prayer and bible reading, you will reflect His glory!  You will GLOW!

And what about the transfiguration in Luke 9:29 -31?

"And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering.

And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias: Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem."

I bet that was a sight to behold!

Is my light still shining...

    or do I need to replace my light bulb with extra prayer and bible reading?

        But that's just me!

A Lighter Load

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Words of Jesus, Matthew 11:28-30

I spent most of my day yesterday sorting through boxes and totes that have taken up residence on the basement shelves for years.  It was time to see what was actually stuffed into those boxes and decide whether or not to keep an item, donate an item or put it in the trash.  By the end of the day, I had purged a lot of unnecessary items. My little house seemed lighter when I finished.

My soul feels lighter when I give my unnecessary burdens over to the Lord as well.

Funny how the cares of the world and the demands of others weigh us down.  But it turns tragic when we try to carry the weight by ourselves. But then the Lord comes along and whispers to our hearts and says, "Let me carry that, I've got this!"

Psalm 68:19 reminded me today, that there are two different kinds of loads:

1- Burdens, and

2-Benefits.

"Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah."

Jesus bears our burdens and blesses us with benefits! 

When I give the Lord what I was never meant to carry, my day has a new outlook.  Unnecessary burdens shift shoulders.  

An unnecessary weight is lifted.

Today I choose to give Him my burden...

    And I choose to accept His benefits..

        He carries, I rest...

            But that's just me!