Freelance writer and Speaker
‘Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to Him belong, they are weak but He is strong.
Yes, Jesus loves me. ‘
I came across these words again the other day. They were written by Anna Bartlett to comfort a dying child. You don’t need to be a child to believe it. Christmas is the time is when these words are proved to be true. God proves His love for me by sending Jesus.
We read a lot about perseverance in the Bible but I always struggle how to spell it.
I’ve now discovered the correct spelling – K E E P G O I N G
We can have sympathy for Zechariah, father of John the Baptist. He was mute for nine months. For nine months we have had limited freedom to visit friends and be with family. We have been unable to sing in church.
When the restrictions are over will we sing more fervently and greet our friends more enthusiastically? Will we make for lost time with as many words as we can or will we speak more wisely sharing the wisdom we have learned during the nine months?
I do wish all my readers a blessed 2021. May the problems of 2020 be eased; may our freedom be more and may we worship our God more fervently.
The Bible says, See I am dong a new thing.
Christmas Day is passed. Presents have been given and received. Maybe we have even been with relatives and friends and the excitement has died down. We come down from the mountain top and wonder and worry about next year. Will we have a job, will we have enough money and will keep free of this virus?
We need to take stock in a positive way. We have celebrated the birth of Christ not just had a good time. Post Christmas reminds us about the Saviour of the world. We can go forward in the light of that revelation. 2021 will hard and difficult or good and happy, though probably a mixture of both. We don’t have to walk the way alone.
This year I have understood a little more about Joseph’s predicament. Weary after many miles of uncomfortable travel with a heavily pregnant wife, Mary, he was finding it difficult to find a suitable place for the baby to be born.
In this country and probably all over the world, we are facing rejection. We can’t visit neighbours and friends, at times we can’t go to hairdressers, gyms, concerts and many other places. Because of covid we are not welcome.
Joseph, we are learning about rejection.
So tomorrow is the day when the world tilted. After the birth of Jesus it would never be the same again. Just a crying little baby lying in a bed of straw, just a weary mum and step-dad, just a now resting donkey, just a few curious shepherds gazing in wonder and eventually just a few foreign kings coming to give homage.
But this ‘just’ day made the world BC and AD. The date 2020 and 2021 reflect this just birth., the salvation of the world began here. It was just another day, but what a day!!
This is a little tongue in cheek but when we sing ‘Hark the Herald Angels sing,’ I wonder if these angels have other roles or whether heralding is their main job. What about the angels who are at the bedside of sick children and the dying? Who are the angels who keep us ‘lest we dash our foot against a stone’? Are there angels who take on human form and guide the lost traveller in the form of another traveller, or a person who arrives at just the right time?
I obviously don’t know much about the role of angels but I do thank God He sends them to work on this earth.
According to Google snow was recorded in Jerusalem in December 1990, but none since then. So what do we make of ‘Snow had fallen, snow on snow.’
‘We three kings of Orient are bringing gifts, we travel afar.’ No-where in the Bible does it say there were three kings, just three gifts.
‘The cattle were lowing, the baby awakes , but little Lord Jesus no crying He makes.’ No crying with all that straw sticking in Him! I’m sue that even Jesus, bawled His head off at times.
But hymn writers have to get their metres and rhymes right. The most important thing is that He was born, died for our sins and rose again.
I was asked this question by a swarthy skinned teenaged girl in a children’s home in east London. She was insecure,, knowing her skin was darker than some of her school mates. Maybe she had been bullied.
Being a pale skinned, blue lady of uncertain age, I was so pleased to be able to answer.
‘The colour of Jesus’ skin was much more like yours than mine. (that will upset some of our Christmas card makers!)