But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "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 will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.".....Zechariah asked the angel, "How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years." The angel answered, "I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news." .....In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.".....At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah's home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy .....Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God,.....After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him." (find these or any other passages at www.Biblegateway.org)
A common thread in these passages is communication from God. Angels appearing in the temple to Zechariah, in Nazareth to Mary, in a dream to Joseph, and though not listed here, on a hillside the the shepherds. Then there is this wondrous sign in nature to the Wise Men. Also a filling, a revelation, and a movement of the Holy Spirit.
We might be tempted to think that only these special "Bible people" would get such direct information from God.
But this is not the case. God speaks to you constantly, and desires that you would hear. The key is learning to listen. God gave you His written Word. He sent His Holy Spirit that lives inside you. Take some time in this celebratory season to listen to the One you celebrate.
Won't you try this today? Take ten minutes, get a Bible, find a quiet spot, with no TV, radio, or people.
Open your Bible to Luke 1.
Ask God to give you focus and clarity, to remove any distractions, and to speak to you through His Word.
Read Luke 1 and 2.
Think about what it says God did for you.
Thank God for His presence with you, whether you feel it or not.
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Questions:
1. Have you ever heard from God? Is there a reason He would not communicate with you?
2. Does His presence depend upon you feeling it?
3. Might learning to hear Him be a great Christmas gift for you?
INTERESTING THOUGHT:
If your heart takes more pleasure in reading novels,
or watching TV, or going to the movies, or talking to friends,
rather than just sitting alone with God and embracing Him,
sharing His cares and His burdens, weeping and rejoicing with Him,
then how are you going to handle forever and ever in His presence?
You'd be bored to tears in heaven, if you're not ecstatic about God now!
Keith Green
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