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Posted on December 23, 2020 by beverlyeash

18This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. 19Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly. 20As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. 21And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet: 23“Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’” 24When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife. 25But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus.

Matthew 1:18-25

I am rarely at a loss for words, particularly when I give my thoughts time to coalesce into coherent words that can be formed into understandable sentences. When I read this passage, however, words evade me. There is a sense in which this passage highlights the utter thoroughness with which God implemented his plan to send Jesus to earth as our Messiah.

It wasn’t just Mary who needed to be brought on board, so to speak, but also Joseph. The culture into which Jesus was born was patriarchal, meaning that the male head of household led society. It would have been within Joseph’s “rights” to broadcast Mary’s pregnancy. He considered separating from her quietly. God had other ideas. He sent the angel to bring Joseph on board as well.

It occurs to me I can trust God implicitly to care for the details of my life and the plans he has for me. I do not believe he will leave me out to dry or call me into something that he has not adequately taken care of the details. He can be trusted. There is nothing he has left out of planning, no details gone unattended to.

When you consider your future, whether it is in six minutes or six months or six years — can you trust him with the details? It seems to me he has it covered.

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Posted on December 22, 2020 by beverlyeash

26In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, 27to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. 28Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!”29Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. 30“Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! 31You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. 33And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”34Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.” 35The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God.” 

Luke 1:26-35

Imagine the thoughts that ran through Mary’s mind when Gabriel announced she would have a baby. You know the thoughts I mean — the ones that run through our conscious mind twice the speed of light; so fast they barely make an impression. And yet, there they are. When faced with impossibility, our minds naturally ask, “How can this be?” and then it provides the natural solutions of achieving the impossible.

If you have an impossible promise from God regarding your future, be assured the solution God has in mind does not contradict his written word. God’s plan for Mary’s conception was to break the laws of nature and accomplish it without Joseph’s involvement. Imagine the outcome if Mary had decided Gabriel’s announcement seemed too preposterous and she had worked out the details in a human way.

I am continually reminded that God’s ways are not my ways. His ways are imaginative and creative; sometimes he colors outside of the lines. In what ways are you wanting him to stay inside the lines of a carefully planned life? How can you let go and trust him in the next steps of your life?

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Posted on December 21, 2020 by beverlyeash

2The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine. 6For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen!

Isaiah 9:2, 6-7

Today as we begin the final week of Advent, I pause to remember the passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies who will still make it happen. I have decided to intentionally put the brakes on activity this week to pause and appreciate Jesus coming as a baby. I want to notice and acknowledge the chaos and faith surrounding not only the unprecedented method of conception, but the months of pregnancy, the birth among animals, the escape from those who would kill the baby, the steadfast commitment to the word of the Lord given through Gabriel.

I invite you to pause. Just stop for a few minutes. Read the scripture aloud, paying close attention to any word or phrase that stands out to you. Use that word or phrase as a breath prayer throughout your day as you prepare your heart to celebrate the mystery and majesty of the birth of Jesus.

Let this song be a starting point for your interaction with the Holy Spirit today!

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Posted on December 18, 2020 by beverlyeash

26In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, 27to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. 28Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!”29Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. 30“Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! 31You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. 33And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!” 34Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.” 35The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. 36What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she has conceived a son and is now in her sixth month. 37For the word of God will never fail.

Luke 1:26-35

Whenever I read the account of Jesus’ birth and events surrounding it, I wonder. I wonder what it would have been like to be there, to be Mary or Joseph; or their parents. From this moment in the lives of these people, their world changed. In a moment, it was turned upside down and sideways. I wonder why the element of chaos is left out of our modern depictions of Jesus’ coming to earth.

For me, I believe that God’s word never fails. It didn’t fail Mary and Joseph and it won’t fail me. I will never be alone, he won’t leave me or forsake me, his presence will sustain and hold me, there will always be grace for the places he takes me.

For the word of God will never fail.

A few years ago, God took me away from my home to a place by the ocean for an extended period of time. It wasn’t a bad place to go, many actually plan to do it every year. But I never wanted to go there. I felt needed here. I felt safe here. I wanted to stay here. My place was here. In my wrestling with the decision, I read these words:

…if I dwell by the farthest oceans, 10even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me.

Psalm 139:9-10

The months away were not easy, but the word of the Lord did not fail me. His hand provided guidance, his strength supported me. Through it all, he did deep heart work.

The word of the Lord may turn your world upside down. But there are two things we can know for sure: 1) you don’t need to be afraid and 2) his presence will not fail you.

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Posted on December 17, 2020 by beverlyeash

“Unless your faith is firm, I cannot make you stand firm.” 10Later, the Lord sent this message to King Ahaz: 11“Ask the Lord your God for a sign of confirmation, Ahaz. Make it as difficult as you want—as high as heaven or as deep as the place of the dead.” 12But the king refused. “No,” he said, “I will not test the Lord like that.” 13Then Isaiah said, “Listen well, you royal family of David! Isn’t it enough to exhaust human patience? Must you exhaust the patience of my God as well? 14All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’). 

Isaiah 7:9-14

In this passage from the writings of Isaiah, King Ahaz of Judah faced dire circumstances. The kings of Syria and Israel plotted to attack him and even though the attempt was thwarted, King Ahaz looked on these rulers with trembling. It seemed he forgot that God was with him.

Isaiah reminds the king that God was with him and invited him to ask for a sign — anything he wanted. What would you do? King Ahaz, afraid to place his trust in the God he can’t see, claimed the high road — I don’t want to test the Lord — and refused to ask for a sign of God’s presence.

Isaiah, unimpressed with Ahaz, rebuked the entire assembly and provided a sign for the people — a baby would be born and his name would be Immanuel which means ‘God with us!’ Personally, I believe this sign had a fulfillment in the days of Isaiah and Ahaz. But it’s ultimate fulfillment came about 700 years later in a little town called Bethlehem.

I relate to Ahaz. Some days God’s presence is hard to feel. I can’t see him and if I can’t feel him, how do I know he is here? Then I am tempted to put my trust in what I can see, to find someone or something that is tangible. It is in those moments, the Holy Spirit invites me to ask for a sign — a sign of God’s presence. Will I step out in faith and ask? Will I refuse, hiding behind a sense of false piety as a cover to find my own way?

Is God inviting you to ask for a sign of his presence? Are you bold enough and yet humble enough to do it? Do you trust his love for you?

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Posted on December 16, 2020 by beverlyeash

18Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I be sure this will happen? I’m an old man now, and my wife is also well along in years.”

Luke 1:18

10Then one of them said, “I will return to you about this time next year, and your wife, Sarah, will have a son!” Sarah was listening to this conversation from the tent. 11Abraham and Sarah were both very old by this time, and Sarah was long past the age of having children. 12So she laughed silently to herself and said, “How could a worn-out woman like me enjoy such pleasure, especially when my master—my husband—is also so old?” 13Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say, ‘Can an old woman like me have a baby?’ 14Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.” 15Sarah was afraid, so she denied it, saying, “I didn’t laugh.”But the Lord said, “No, you did laugh.”

Genesis 18:10-15

It seems God is in the business of doing the impossible. Limited in considering the extraordinary, I ask questions; I laugh at his ‘out of the box’ ideas; I wonder why ‘it’ couldn’t have been accomplished earlier, in my timing. After all, I am too old for that now, beyond the years of conceiving that idea, task, plan. How could I do that now?

At least that is how I process things. And I hear God ask me, just as he did Zechariah, Abraham and Sarah…

Is anything too hard for the Lord?

What is he wanting to birth in you now, when the time for natural conception is gone and this scheme will only be accomplished through his miraculous intervention? Did you question, laugh, consider it impossible? Is anything too hard for the Lord?

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Posted on December 15, 2020 by beverlyeash

5When Herod was king of Judea, there was a Jewish priest named Zechariah. He was a member of the priestly order of Abijah, and his wife, Elizabeth, was also from the priestly line of Aaron. 6Zechariah and Elizabeth were righteous in God’s eyes, careful to obey all of the Lord’s commandments and regulations. 7They had no children because Elizabeth was unable to conceive, and they were both very old. 8One day Zechariah was serving God in the Temple, for his order was on duty that week. 9As was the custom of the priests, he was chosen by lot to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense. 10While the incense was being burned, a great crowd stood outside, praying. 11While Zechariah was in the sanctuary, an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the incense altar. 12Zechariah was shaken and overwhelmed with fear when he saw him. 13But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him John.

Luke 1:5-13

Have you ever felt like God was running late? I wonder if Zechariah did. After all, his and Elizabeth’s credentials were rock solid. Not only were they both of the priestly line of Aaron — guaranteed blessing — but they were considered righteous in God’s eyes. They did the right thing all. the. time. And yet the one thing – children – had been denied them. Now they are old; perhaps even past the age of hoping for descendants.

And yet, at the exact right time, God sent Gabriel to tell them they would have a son. God heard their prayers.

I bet you relate to this. Your credentials are in order. You’ve served God your whole life. You do the right thing. And yet, you wait. Perhaps you have given up hope that God heard you.

Today I declare that God has heard your prayer. He is moving on your behalf. He is sending miracles. Change is on the way. Even though you think you’re beyond the age of productivity. NOW is the right time!

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Posted on December 14, 2020 by beverlyeash

12Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”

John 8:12

Last week, I shared scripture that declared darkness can never extinguish the light. Since then, the concept of light keeps coming to me. Perhaps it was the news of a cancer diagnosis or small business closures or financial difficulty. As if a pandemic, political unrest and social injustice aren’t dark enough.

I found myself longing for light that illuminates the way; light that doesn’t flicker and fade; light that isn’t dependent on batteries or solar power or fuel. Light that dispels the darkness.

Then I brought Jesus into the picture and remembered his words to the people so long ago. He said he is the light we can depend on to illuminate the way. He is the true light that gives light to everyone (John 1:9).

16So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters. 17Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.

James 1:16-17

Shadows are interesting. A shadow isn’t an exact representation of the real object. Shadows can be larger, smaller, thinner or thicker than the actual object or person. It moves in odd ways, it can misrepresent reality, it is just a shadow. But Jesus is not a shadow — he is the real deal and he doesn’t cast a shadow. A friend posted this picture on social media. It’s a great illustration of the light of Jesus.

I take comfort in the presence of Jesus and the light he brings into my life. Darkness cannot extinguish it and in him there is no shifting shadow and no darkness at all.

Regardless of how dark your way seems, Jesus wants to illuminate your way. If he is already a part of your life, the light is already present. Let it shine and show you the way. If you are living in darkness, without his presence, invite the Light to shine on your circumstances today.

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Posted on December 11, 2020 by beverlyeash

10He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. 11He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. 12But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. 13They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God. 14So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son. 15John testified about him when he shouted to the crowds, “This is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘Someone is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.’” 16From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another. 17For the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ. 18No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us.

John 1:10-18

He came to his own but they didn’t recognize him. Have you ever gone somewhere, to your own people, and not been recognized? Has anyone ever done a double take when you walked in a room, wondering if you are who they think you are?

As I ponder this scripture today, I ask myself, “when has he come to me and I did not recognize him?” It seems to me, this whole year has been full of opportunity. Opportunity to miss his coming. Not in a literal sense, but figuratively. Are you asking: Is this really God? How am I supposed to see him in this?

The other day, one of my siblings posted a sunrise/sunset picture. It was magnificent. Then another sibling posted one from her corner of the world. (I have four sisters, a brother and my mom in this group.) Someone mentioned that it seems like the sunrises and sunsets this year have been more colorful, more noticeable, more magnificent. I wonder if they are actually more dynamic or are we just seeing it with new eyes of appreciation? Our lives have been interrupted, slowed down, so we take time to see the sunset. (I don’t see sunrises. I rely on pictures from my friends who are early birds.)

Today as you navigate your responsibilities, I challenge you to ask the Lord two questions: How have you shown up and I missed it because I expected something different? AND This passage says, “out of your abundance you bless me with one gracious blessing after another.” How have you blessed me with your unfailing love and faithfulness?

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Posted on December 10, 2020 by beverlyeash

1In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He existed in the beginning with God. 3God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. 4The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. 5The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.

John 1:1-5

Darkness does not exist. It is simply the absence of light. In the beginning, “the earth was formless and empty, and darkness {there was no light} covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.” And then God said, ‘Let there be light’.” Genesis 1:2-3

The darkness was dispelled. Not by the appearance of heavenly lights, but by the presence of Jesus.

And then a few thousand years later, Jesus came to earth and his life brought light to everyone. A different kind of light, of course. Not the sun, moon and stars kind — the light that fills a soul with hope.

23And the city has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light.

Revelation 21:23

As it was in the beginning, so it shall be in the end. There is no need for created lights because the Lamb will be the light in the City of God. He was in the beginning, he was in the middle, he will be in the end.

Darkness does not have the power to extinguish the light. It’s impossible.

Take courage, stand firm and carry on!

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