Month: January 2025

a jolt of joy

Posted on by Grace Day

Joy is quite elusive, if you ask me. Joy can’t be captured, measured, tamed, quantified, stored up for later – joy isn’t something I can schedule into my day or put on my calendar. I can’t anticipate joy’s arrival or make an appointment to gain an audience with her. Joy comes and goes on her own schedule, without fanfare. Joy doesn’t announce herself, which explains why she catches me by surprise every time and takes my breath away. Joy always vanishes too soon, leaving me longing for more time together. Still I am grateful for the time joy and I do spend together.

Joy made an unexpected appearance one morning this past week and I am still the better for the time I spent in her presence. It was an ordinary morning in every way, except that it was the coldest morning of our winter so far. In fact, it was cold enough that my school system and many others were starting two hours later on this particular day. This meant that I was not driving to school in the dark as usual on this coldest of all mornings. Instead, I was still at home when joy paid her unannounced visit. And let me just say, joy shows up in the most unexpected, in the most mundane of places, amid the mundaneness of my everyday life.

Such was the case this ordinary morning. I was in my laundry room. That’s right – with my extra time I was putting in a load of laundry. Now laundry must be the most mundane of all tasks, I think. However, my laundry room has an east facing window and on this uneventful morning, I looked out my window over the frozen landscape to see a sky on fire, a sky ablaze with warm, glowing oranges, pinks, yellows, all blending together, creating a radiance unique to this sunrise of this new day alone.

The morning sky was so beautiful, it took my breath away. I stood captive, unable to look away, lest the beauty before me should disappear as soon as I turned my back. And so I continued watching – BUT – joy doesn’t tarry, she has places to go and people to see. The initial brilliance of the sunrise faded as the sun continued her climb into the sky. I however, had received my jolt of joy for the day (better by far than caffeine) before the day had even begun. How grateful I was to receive this extraordinary gift on this ordinary day. Unexpected and freely given – joy does things like that.

I didn’t have to go looking for joy. She came to me. I didn’t have to climb a mountain or travel to an exotic location to behold such thrilling beauty. No, joy comes freely to all who will receive her. All I had to do was to look out my laundry room window and God’s glory was on display right in front of me! Joy is definitely one of my Heavenly Father’s many good gifts and I never want to take joy’s visits for granted. Joy showed up on a sub-zero morning, brightening up a cold, dark world with a heavenly lightshow defying description. She didn’t stay long, but the memory of those moments spent in her presence kept me warm all day.

That’s joy for you. She is elusive. She can’t be captured or conjured up or summoned or manufactured. But she is all around me, readily available to me, just waiting for me to pause from my busyness long enough to notice her and engage with her. Joy comes with the kind word I didn’t expect and didn’t realize how desperately I needed it until it was given to me. Joy comes when I dare to obey God’s truth instead of being bound by my fear. Joy is more of a constant companion than I realize, because God’s presence is constant and God’s presence brings joy. God’s presence is joy. The psalmist experienced this saying –

“You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand.” (Psalm 16:11)

Joy always feels like an undeserved bonus in my daily walk – the icing on the cake. Joy uplifts me, inspires me, encourages me when I am weary and considering giving up – it is then, in the despondent moments, that joy shows up and carries me forward. No wonder Nehemiah said this about joy –

“Nehemiah said, ‘ . . . Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’ ” (Nehemiah 8:10)

Joy shows up to override my pain and to make me strong again in the Lord. Thank You, Heavenly Father, for sending joy into the moments of my days. Joy reveals You each time I encounter her. No wonder I long for more moments of joy. It is the expression of my longing for more glimpses of You!

sincerely, Grace Day

the joy of comfort

Posted on by Grace Day

Do you ever get tired of living life with a broken heart? I know I do. I walk into this New Year wounded, desperately desiring comfort. Comfort sustains, though it does not heal. Fortunately for me, my Heavenly Father is the God of all comfort. Paul mentions this in his letter to the church in Corinth, saying –

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

Paul also explains further, saying –

“For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.” (2 Corinthians 1:5)

That’s what I crave these days – overflowing comfort. Maybe that’s why I picked “comfort” as one of my words for this year? Paul says that God “comforts me in all my troubles.” That promise in God’s word is in itself comforting to me. God’s abiding Presence provides me with comfort despite what my current circumstances might be. Kind David acknowledged as much when he said,

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4)

I too often find myself walking through things and in places I would not choose. During these times, my path is not a comfortable one. On the contrary, it is difficult, scary, painful and even dangerous – kind of like the valley of the shadow of death that David was traveling through in Psalm 23. It is during these parts of my journey that God’s Presence gives me the comfort I need to sustain me. God’s comfort allows me to hope and to have courage, which enables me to keep going even in tough times.

Comfort comes in many ways. During these current days of sub-zero weather, I find comfort in a warm blanket and a cup of hot tea. While my physical comfort can be addressed by adjusting the thermostat or wearing warmer clothes, my emotional and spiritual comfort require something more than comfortable shoes or comfort food. The embrace of a friend, the companionship of kindred spirits, kind words, encouraging words – all these provide much needed comfort when my heart hurts and my spirit sinks beneath the burdens of the day. I think Solomon agrees with me that words can provide much needed comfort because he said this –

“An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up.” (Proverbs 12:25)

“A man finds joy in giving an apt reply – and how good is a timely word!” (Proverbs 15:23)

“Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.” (Proverbs 16:24)

God has promised His comfort to me and to you, dear readers, and actually to anyone who desires it. God stands ready to comfort those He has created.

“The Lord is good to all; He has compassion on all He has made.” (Psalm 145:9)

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” (Matthew 5:4)

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18)

My Heavenly Father’s Presence is my comfort. And I have His comfort twenty-four/seven because He has said –

“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” (Hebrews13:5)

Jesus promised His disciples this before He left them –

“But the Comforter, even the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said unto you.” (John 14:26 ASV)

The Holy Spirit is referred to by many different names, including the Helper, the Counselor, the Spirit of truth, and also as the Comforter. I feel like “the Comforter” is an especially apt name for the Holy Spirit because God’s abiding Presence with me certainly does bring me His comfort as I face whatever uncertainties, fears, hurts and losses the day brings my way. It is God’s comfort that sustains me, bandages me up and sends me back out again into the world to do whatever He has called me to do on any particular day.

My Heavenly Father’s comfort is the cloak I wear, the cloak I wrap myself in as I head out into a less than kind world each day. God’s comfort revives my hurting heart and brings me joy in my journey. His promises give me comfort, promises such as this one –

“The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” (Zephaniah 3:17)

What is more comforting than a lullaby sung to an anxious child in need of soothing? Our parents did that for us, we sang over our children – and our Heavenly Father has been singing over us, watching over us, walking with us, ever since He created us in His image. He truly is the God of all comfort, which is good because I seem to be constantly in need of comfort!

Thank You, Heavenly Father, for the comfort of Your constant Presence walking with me in this world. Your comfort gives me joy in the middle of the hurt, loss, fear, pain and suffering that I inevitably experience in this life. Your comfort sustains me in all my trials and circumstances. I have Your promise!

“Comfort, comfort My people, says your God.” (Isaiah 40:1)

“Shout for joy, O heavens; rejoice, O earth; burst into song, O mountains! For the Lord comforts His people and will have compassion on His afflicted ones.” (Isaiah 49:13)

thank You, Lord, for the joy of Your comfort –

sincerely, Grace Day

remember me

Posted on by Grace Day

Those words could be a question, “remember me?”, but they could also be a command or a plea. As for myself, I think I have uttered those words as all three, question, command and plea, at various times in my life, depending on the situation. The one I most identify with however, is the heartfelt plea the thief hanging on the cross next to Jesus uttered in desperation when he cried out to Jesus – “remember me!” Here’s what happened –

“One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at Him (Jesus): ‘Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!’ But the other criminal rebuked him. ‘Don’t you fear God,’ he said, ‘since you are under the same sentence? we are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.’ Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.’ ” (Luke 23:39-42)

This was the plea of a dying man -“please, I beg you, Jesus, remember me, don’t forget about me, save me, call me to mind and to You” – all this and more was implied in the thief’s plea, when he begged Jesus simply to “remember me.” And Jesus did. The result?

“Jesus answered him, ‘I tell you the truth, today you will be with Me in paradise.’ ” (Luke 23:43)

Jesus “remembered” him and he was rescued from his death sentence and given instead life with Jesus. The same thing happened for Noah. Remember Noah, the ark and the flood? Remember what happened after the flood?

“The waters flooded the earth for a hundred and fifty days. But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and He sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded.” (Genesis 7:24-8:1)

God “remembered” Noah. The result? Noah and all on the ark were saved. They were rescued from the flood which covered the whole earth. Remembering leads to rescue, it would seem. That was the case for Lot, Abraham’s nephew. Abraham had asked God to spare Lot’s life. The result?

“So when God destroyed the cities of the plain, He remembered Abraham, and He brought Lot out of the catastrophe that overthrew the cities where Lot had lived.” (Genesis 19:29)

God remembered Abraham’s plea for Lot’s life and God rescued Lot from the disaster. Do you ever feel like God has forgotten you? The Israelites often felt that way. They felt abandoned by God.

“But Zion said, ‘The Lord has forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me.’ ” (Isaiah 49:14)

What was God’s response to this?

“Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of My hands; your walls are ever before Me.” (Isaiah 49:15-16)

When I feel unseen and unheard, invisible, overlooked and forgotten by everyone I ever knew – I can know that my Heavenly Father “remembers” me. God has not forgotten me! He sees me and He hears my cries. He hears my pleas to Him to “remember me.” I think Jeremiah also feared being forgotten or overlooked by God because he cried out –

“You understand, O Lord; remember me and care for me. Avenge me on my persecutors. You are long-suffering – do not take me away; think of how I suffer reproach for Your sake.” (Jeremiah 15:15)

God will not forget me nor you, dear readers. Our names are engraved on the palms of His hands. God does not lose track of us either. We have this promise from Psalms –

“He will not let your foot slip – He who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. . . . The Lord will keep you from all harm – He will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.” (Psalm 121:7-8)

It’s reassuring to me to know that God not only remembers me, but He’s remembering me twenty-four/seven with no gaps in His infinite attention span. God keeps His promises because He always remembers His promises. This is what God said to Noah –

” ‘I establish My covenant with you: Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.’ And God said, ‘This is the sign of the covenant I am making between Me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set My rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember My covenant between Me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.’ ” (Genesis 9:11-16)

Unlike you and me, God has a perfect memory. I don’t have to worry that God will forget about me. Still, King David, entreated God to remember him in this Psalm –

“Remember, O Lord, Your great mercy and love, for they are from of old. Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to Your love remember me, for You are good, O Lord.” (Psalm 25:6-7)

David’s plea is that God will remember him BUT will NOT remember his sin and his rebellious ways. This is my plea as well – “Remember me, God! Please don’t remember all my sin and my rebellion – but do remember me!” Fortunately, God does this very thing. I have His Word on it!

“I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions, for My own sake, and remembers your sins no more.” (Isaiah 43:25)

“For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” (Hebrews 8:12)

Best deal ever! My Heavenly Father will remember me BUT not my sin. Like the thief on the cross, my plea is “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” And He has promised that He will do just that. Jesus told His disciples –

“In My Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am.” (John 14:2-3)

This is good news! My Heavenly Father not only remembers me, He watches over me continuously, He knows every hair on my head, He calls me by name just like He does every star, my name is engraved on the palms of His hands, He’s preparing a place for me and He’s coming back to get me. When I cry out “remember me!”, I can know that my Heavenly Father does indeed remember me. He has promised to forget nothing except my sin. Me, He remembers always.

“I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.” (Jeremiah 31:3)

“The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” (Deuteronomy 31:8)

sincerely, Grace Day

post Advent ponderings continue

Posted on by Grace Day

“Oh tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy! Oh tidings of comfort and joy.” You would think I would be done with Christmas carols by now. The radio has stopped playing any Christmas music, of course, and we are no longer singing carols at church. But “tidings of comfort and joy” continues to echo in my mind even after all my Christmas decorations are packed away, out of sight and out of mind for another year. Still, the words “comfort and joy” persist, remaining with me.

Maybe they should be my new words of the year? I don’t think there’s a rule stating I can only have one word per year, is there? My word for the year has been “hope” for at least the last three years running. Perhaps I have been holding onto “hope” for too long at this point? Pun intended, although I don’t ever want to give up hope, whether figuratively, by choosing a different word, or literally.

However, I am intrigued by the combination of the words “comfort and joy.” I don’t usually think of these two words as going together. Still, the more I think about them – the more I realize how much I long for each of these two things in my life – comfort and joy. I need them both. I would welcome more of each into my life. The reasons for this are self-explanatory. Life can be hard and painful, we all need comfort to sustain us during times of loss and sadness. And joy – who doesn’t want more joy in their life? Moments of joy may be few and fleeting, but I cherish them and crave more of them in my life, as you probably do also.

Why are the words “tidings of comfort and joy” in a Christmas carol? Perhaps because the news of Christ’s birth is a tiding that brings both comfort and joy to all mankind. The angels said as much to the shepherds when they announced Jesus’s birth –

“But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord.’ ” (Luke 2:10-11)

The news of Jesus’s birth was cause for joy – great joy. I read this in Matthew about how the Magi received the news of Jesus’s birth –

“When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.” (Matthew 2:10)

The Magi were overjoyed to see the star because the star would lead them to the child, the King, the Savior that they were earnestly seeking. And it did just that!

“On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.” (Matthew 2:11)

Jesus’s birth was definitely an occasion that brought much joy to everyone. The word “joy” was prominent on some of the Christmas cards I received this year. I also received a Christmas gift that was the word “joy” in handcrafted letters strung together, ready to hang on a tree or otherwise display. And another Christmas gift I received was a decoration with the words “wishing you peace, comfort and joy.” I have been sensing a theme. BUT –

so much of daily life, of my current circumstances and situations, is painful, that it seems difficult if not impossible for joy to breakthrough, let alone to enter in with the intent to abide. But Jesus is joy. His arrival brings joy. Jesus came to abide. Joy is here to stay!

Even so, I am still in need of comfort on a daily basis. In fact, I crave comfort. Fortunately, Jesus’s arrival brings me comfort as well as joy. Isaiah talked about this when he said –

“Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, . . . And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” (Isaiah 40:1-2 & 5)

Jesus’s birth brought great comfort to all those who had been waiting long for God’s promised Deliverer, Messiah, Savior and King. This is particularly true for Simeon, who took much comfort and joy in seeing for himself the newborn Savior, Jesus. We read Simeon’s story in Matthew –

“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, saying: ‘Sovereign Lord, as You have promised, You now dismiss Your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to Your people Israel.’ ” (Luke 2:25-32)

“the consolation of Israel” aka, the comfort of Israel, what God promised Simeon he would see for himself before he died, had arrived! Jesus had been born and Simeon had the joy and the comfort of beholding God’s salvation with his own eyes right there in the temple courts. Jesus’s birth not only brought Simeon comfort and joy, (he said he could now die in peace) but Jesus’s birth was also to bring comfort and joy to Israel and eventually to all who would believe on His name.

Surely, the news of Jesus’s birth, or the “tidings” were indeed tidings of both comfort and of joy to all who, like Simeon, had waited with longing for God to make good on His promise to send them a Savior who would rescue all people from the death sentence their own sin had brought them. What joy to have my death sentence lifted! What comfort to know I am forgiven and loved unconditionally! The message of Christmas, therefore, is one of both comfort and joy – two things I definitely desire.

I have found that knowing Jesus and walking with Him, brings me both comfort and joy on a daily basis. These are two priceless gifts His Presence bestows that I never want to take for granted. So I think I will choose “comfort” and “joy” as my words for this New Year. I will be thankful for all the ways His Presence comforts me in my troubles and for all the moments of joy I experience in His Presence.

I pray for each of you, too, dear readers, that 2025 will bring you many moments of comfort and of joy as you not only hear the tidings of this good news that the Savior has come, BUT you actually experience for yourself His Presence as you walk with Him into this New Year. (previous post -“walking into the New Year”)

“You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand.” (Psalm 16:11)

“I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4)

may God give you each His comfort and His joy in this New Year –

sincerely, Grace Day

walking into the New Year

Posted on by Grace Day

that’s right, I said walking, not running or sprinting BUT neither did I say crawling or limping into the New Year – even if some of us may feel today as if that is how we are entering into this New Year, perhaps weak and wounded, going at a slower pace than we would like – perhaps entering into this new year from a position of perceived defeat rather than victory –

Nevertheless, the new year is here and I just walked into it, literally – that is to say, I just took my first walk of the New Year. Ironically, I took this walk not somewhere new, but in an old, familiar place, but one that I have not walked at all in the last several years. The route or path was full of memories even though this time of year it looks very different from what I remember. That’s because I used to walk this place in summer or fall, when it is in full bloom with wildflowers, community gardens, all kinds of wildlife and plenty of other walkers.

Today is bitingly cold and windy, the landscape brown and barren, except for some cattails and other tall brown grasses. Still, I find beauty in the stark barrenness of the landscape and of the trees, and I take comfort in knowing that the time is coming when this same landscape will again be full of color and life.

This is the same place I remember, just in a different season. I walk alone, remembering all the times I walked this path with a friend as we shared and prayed our way along the route until we would arrive back where we started. Actually though, today I was not alone. My Heavenly Father was walking with me, as He always does. I’m just more aware of His Presence when I’m by myself.

I am reminded that God walked with Adam and Eve in the garden “in the cool of the day.” God has been walking with His people from the very beginning and He’s still doing it today. God told Abraham –

“Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.” (Genesis 12:1)

God would be going with Abraham to show him the way. I feel like God does that for me every day. He doesn’t send me off alone – He walks with me to guide me, to direct, inform and teach me along the way. This is a good thing because I am directionally challenged. I can so easily lose my way and my focus and my purpose as I walk out my life’s journey. But I have the promise of His Presence even when I lose my way or get off course –

“Where can I go from Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your Presence? If I go up to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in the depths, You are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your hand will guide me, Your right hand will hold me fast.” (Psalm 139:7-10)

I especially like the promise that my Heavenly Father’s “right hand will hold me fast.” This knowledge, this truth, gives me both comfort and courage as I walk forward into this new year. I welcome both, as it is the comfort of His Presence that gives me the courage I need to face the uncertainties and the inevitable challenges this new year will surely bring to me. With my Heavenly Father’s hand holding me fast, I am able to walk into this new year with grit, grace and gratitude – knowing I do not walk alone.

That doesn’t mean my walking is always graceful or that my walking conditions are always ideal – far from it. Very few moments do I find myself “walking on water” like Peter. I love those dramatic moments when my faith overpowers my fear and I step out in obedience. I step out of my boat like Peter did, leaving behind what I trusted in, instead walking toward Jesus across a stormy sea, trusting only in Him. I have eyes only for Jesus – I am walking on water – until I notice the storm surrounding me and I began to sink like Peter did. BUT – as with Peter, it is in that very moment God’s hand holds me fast and rescues me.

“But when he (Peter) saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’ Immediately Jesus reached out His hand and caught him.” (Matthew 14:30-31)

My walking will not always be in pleasant places during this coming year. BUT – God’s Presence walking with me will make all the difference. Like King David, I will probably walk through many valleys in 2025, and some will be dark valleys, like David’s valley of the shadow of death. However, look how David describes his experience of walking with God –

“He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” (Psalm 23:3-5)

Even when I am walking this world’s darkest valleys, I don’t have to be afraid! (“I will fear no evil”) I have the comfort of God’s Presence. And even while I am walking my valleys, my cup overflows! God sees to that. Will I be walking in any more difficult places than valleys surrounded by my enemies? Well, I imagine I’ll face a few fiery trials, aka. furnaces again this year. Remember Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble.”

However, I recall the furnace experience of Daniel’s three friends and I am encouraged. Remember they were bound up and thrown into a furnace heated seven times hotter than normal to assure their destruction. But when King Nebuchadnezzar looked into the furnace, he got a surprise –

” ‘Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?’ They replied, ‘Certainly, O king.’ He said, ‘Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.’ ” (Daniel 3:24-25)

A furnace is not a place I would choose to take a walk, but the three men were “unbound and unharmed – walking around in the fire” – because God was there with them, the fourth One in the fire. As long as I’m walking with God, I can walk with courage. Although, climbing mountains does seem a bit daunting, to put it mildly. Not so with God.

“The Sovereign Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, He enables me to go on the heights.” (Habakkuk 3:19)

Walking on water, walking through dark, dangerous valleys, walking in fiery furnaces or walking up steep mountains – I never know where walking with God will take me, but I do know He will be with me every step of the way – and that is enough, more than enough actually. I have these marching (walking) orders for 2025 –

“And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8)

Sometimes I walk with friends, sometimes by myself – but never alone. God’s right hand always holds me fast. That’s His promise. When I fear that I am losing my way, I am reminded that –

“I am to walk by faith, not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7)

My life is a walk of faith from start to finish. Currently I am continuing on said walkabout knowing this to be true –

“but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)

walking with you, dear readers, into God’s new year – today I walked not on water, but into the wind and the cold – tomorrow? who knows? (well, actually God knows) I have the promise of His Presence, the assurance that I will walk without fainting, the knowledge that God will direct the paths that I walk – that’s enough for today – enough for me to put one foot in front of the other – I don’t need to see the end – I walk by faith today, tomorrow and every day. To that end I will –

“Trust in the Lord with all my heart and lean not on my own understanding; in all my ways I will acknowledge Him, and He will direct my paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

sincerely, Grace Day

post Advent ponder

Posted on by Grace Day

I always miss them when they’re gone. I get used to them and then all of a sudden, they’re not there anymore. Just vanished as if on cue. And my own neighborhood street is no exception. I’ve grown accustomed to the bright lights adorning many of the yards and houses up and down my street. It’s welcoming on a dark evening to return home to so many Christmas lights and decorations all lit up.

But the lights and decorations do give me pause to ponder a very important and virtually inescapable question – what are we celebrating? I see snowmen and gingerbread men but no wise men – elves but no shepherds – plenty of reindeer but few lambs – lots of candy canes but hard to find an angel – twinkling snowflakes but not shining stars – (such as the one that guided the Wise Men) – Santa Clauses are in abundance, many so large they tower over the other decorations, stealing the “limelight” or I guess in this case the Christmas light – but it is rare to find a Nativity scene amid all the brightly lit displays celebrating this holiday.

Hence my post Advent ponder – what are we actually celebrating? For many, is it just time off from work? Although for some, this is the time to work more than usual at Christmas and many have jobs that are just at Christmas ie. all the Santas and elves and such that we see everywhere at Christmas time. Which reminds me – fun story – returning home Christmas night I was forced to take a detour. I had to leave the highway and drive through the downtown of the city in order to get home. I got to see the circle all lit up and I saw two Santa Clauses strolling down the main street, not a care in the world. Neither had a pack of toys on their back, but of course by now all their deliveries would have been made.

Of course, I digress, but in my defense the very nature of pondering lends itself to many avenues of thought, aka digressions. BUT – the original ponder – just what is being celebrated anyway? You know this started out as a birthday party, right? We were remembering and celebrating the birth of God’s Son, Jesus. Why? Because He had been promised and mankind had been waiting centuries for God to make good on that promise.

We needed a Savior and in His perfect timing, God provided One for us. He gave us His very own Son.

“But when the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.” (Galatians 4:4-5)

However, to say that those living at the time were a little disappointed with God’s gift, is kind of an understatement. They didn’t really have the time or the room to receive Jesus or they missed the giving of the gift completely.

“He came to that which was His own, but His own did not receive Him.” (John 1:11)

Seems like we have the same problem today. We don’t make the time or the room to receive God’s gift or we completely miss the fact that God has given us a gift – a priceless, life changing, life giving gift – Jesus Christ. This truth gets buried under snowmen and reindeer and candy canes and Santa Clauses and so many gifts that the real gift is eclipsed, lost and forgotten forever.

However, maybe there’s still time? By now the excitement and the newness of this year’s Christmas gifts are wearing off. Some toys may have already been broken and it is a certainty that gadgets and electronics, as well as clothes, will soon be outdated or outgrown. The luster doesn’t last long with earthly gifts. If only we’d unwrapped God’s gift – the gift of His Presence come to stay with us.

“The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel – which means, ‘God with us.’ ” (Matthew 1:23)

The gift of God’s presence – the overlooked gift of Advent – the only gift of Advent that counts! The star of Bethlehem and the heavenly hosts lit up the darkness on the night of Jesus’s birth. Today, we’re still trying to light up our darkness with all kinds of light displays – but until we let the one true light enter in, our efforts will continue to be in vain. God gave us the Light. Jesus said –

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)

How sad that so many were not ready or willing to receive God’s gift. How sad that is still the case today.

“In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.” (John 1:4-5)

Isaiah said – “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.” (Isaiah 60:1)

May the True Light, given to you and to me at Christmas, continue to light up our lives long after the Santas, the snowmen, the reindeer and such are no longer lighting up our lawns. I don’t have to live in post Advent darkness – Jesus came to stay!

“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” (Isaiah 9:2)

The Christmas lights are already disappearing. BUT – God’s gift – “in Him was life, and that life was the light of men” – God’s light – will continue to shine post Advent and into eternity. This is the gift we celebrate at Advent – God’s light and life.

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.” (Isaiah 9:6-7)

sincerely, Grace Day