Prayer Journal

Monday, December 1, 2003

The Christmas season is here; the time we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for whom the 25th of this month is named. It's said that big things come in little packages. No question the little baby in the Bethlehem manger was the biggest thing ever to be seen in human history. To honor Him, I'd like to give you an early Christmas present today. It's a small thing, but then again it's huge!

Jeremiah was an Old Testament Jewish prophet. In the first chapter of the book named after him, he confessed to God his inadequacy to address Him. Then God reached out and touched the prophet's mouth, promising to use Jeremiah's voice to speak to us. Immediately, Jeremiah saw what God wanted him to see and was commended for accurately describing what he saw, even though he didn't understand it. I must be a prophet for I know what you're thinking. You're probably saying, "Will you stop preaching long enough to give me my present?"

OK. Your present this morning is knowing something that 99.9% of the world doesn't know. In fact I imagine most of you haven't thought about it even though it is the fuel that powers our salvation, the incredible force that holds creation together and the energy that controls our very life. Do you want to open your gift now? Here it is:

Your gift is actually the word, "THAT" wedged right between the two sentence segments, "God is watching to see" and "my word is fulfilled." Please notice the word "IF" is not used there. In other words, God is not a spectator watching to see if your life becomes a derailment he has to clean up and set aright. He is not miraculously keeping you from taking the wrong route, something done all too often by disobedience and neglect. Instead, your Father knows which route you take, goes with you on each trip and protects you from terminal stupidity that threatens to negate his word.

God is watching us today with diligence to insure that what He's promised will come to pass. That's incredible enough until we consider He watching everyone - saved and otherwise to insure the very same thing to them. Listen: I don't understand this, but God keeps everything on track making certain that when we do reach our destination, we're at the right place - at the right time. I don't understand it, but I thank God for it. Amen?

Some call it destiny: the natural culmination of a life of self-determination that intersects totally random coincidence. I call it "God-incidence," the security of being a sheep under the care of the Good Shepherd. He is Creator, Provider, Perfecter and Finisher of my faith. I don't know about you, but I don't need any other presents. Well...

Just Thinkin'... WebServant

Scripture comes from the Holy Bible, New International Version; (c)1978 by New York International Bible Society

Copyright © 1998-2003 James R. Green and Prayertower Ministries
All Rights Reserved

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I'll pray today for...
* My spouse
* My children
* Their friends
* My friends
* My employer
* My city
* My country
* Civic leaders
* Schools
* Teachers

* The sick
* The lost
* Those in despair
* The hospitalized
* The grieving
* Widows
* Orphans

* My church
* My pastor
* Church leaders
* Other churches
* Persecuted church
* Missionaries
* Myself