Abby and Eason –
It’s weird to write you a letter that begins with a confession that I have no idea what I am writing about. But, I am writing because I think that it will show you a little bit about how Jesus talks – or at least one of the ways He talks to me.
You’ve heard me mention what I am going to write about for at least two days – “Be still and know that I am God.” That verse, combined with the thought that our Savior chose to be born in a manger.
Honestly, for two days, I have found amazing peace, intense curiosity, and a keen awareness that I don’t yet understand what the Lord is telling me when I think about those two phrases. Why, this season, does it seem that those two pieces of scripture have been paired together so heavily in my heart?
Well, I know it’s the Holy Spirit. I have learned that when He speaks, I get to learn things that I wouldn’t have ever thought about.
And, I guess that is what I want to share today – one of the ways that Jesus speaks to me.
First, the words of the Lord are found in scripture. So, I always ask myself first if the thing that I think I am hearing “from Jesus” aligns with scripture. If it doesn’t then it isn’t from the Lord. His word is complete and lacks nothing.
Then, I acknowledge that He is my Dad. He formed me in my mother’s womb. He knows exactly how He created me. He knows I love to think. He knows I LOVE to ask questions. He knows that I am incredibly emotional. And, He knows that I am deeply in love with Him.
So, I present myself, exactly as He created me and I ask Him what He is teaching me. Jesus speaks to us the way a loving father and mother speak to a child. He knows how to allow us to be ourselves and how to speak to us in a way that we will listen.
For me, it usually starts with scripture. I love to read the scripture that the Holy Spirit has brought to mind. After that, often curiosity takes over. I visualize the story. I imagine things that might have happened that aren’t in the scriptures. (Note: I don’t in any way pretend that my imagination is truth. I just love to use my imagination to think about things that could have occurred around the story the Bible has given us).
Then, I ask Jesus a lot of questions. I often find myself connecting story after story of scripture and asking Him endless questions. I imagine Him loving to listen. I imagine Him holding me and enjoying that I want to know. I imagine Him smiling and amazed that my questions never stop. I imagine Him excited that a day will come when I will see Him and we can talk endlessly face to face about His great love for us.
Often, it’s after that that I finally start to understand what the Holy Spirit was trying to tell me. A scripture I might have read over and over during my curiosity and endless questions suddenly makes sense.
It’s like Jesus knows I am a kid. I love to play. I love to visualize. I love stories. I love the details of a story. I love to see the story. And, He allows me the space to learn His truths in a way that is special to me. I don’t believe that anything extra I have imagined is part of scripture. Jesus told us exactly what we need to know. Scripture is complete. But, as I imagine, the scripture comes to life in a way that changes me. The story becomes alive, but it is only the parts of the story that are found in Scripture that can change me forever. Scripture is the words of the Lord, alive and piercing our hearts today.
“God is our refuge and our strength, an ever present help in trouble” (Ps. 46:1) The Psalm continues talking about war, nations in uproar, kingdoms falling.
He is our refuge and our strength.
“Come and see what the Lord has done…” (Ps. 46:8). He is our refuge and our strength. He fights our battles. We can “be still and know that (He) is God” (Ps. 46:10).
Cesar Augustus established his dominance. A census was taken throughout the entire Roman world (Luke 2:1).
I imagine a world where man (Cesar) built his kingdom. The quest for money was pursued through a census and taxation. I imagine that merchants loved the extra people in Bethlehem. They probably loved the opportunity to cash in on the census. Innkeepers likely celebrated their rooms being at capacity. I imagine that for many the excitement of personal gain was motivating. For others, the fear of failing to manage the increased demands of the people might have caused fear. Some might have just been annoyed that their to-do list grew.
But, I imagine the pace of life was crazy and fast in Bethlehem.
And Jesus was there – not of the world, but in the world. Amid the crazy pace of Bethlehem, but in a manger. God is our refuge and our strength. Jesus became a baby. He was sent to a world where He would die. He allowed Himself to be taken care of by humans who He would save. Because God is our refuge and our strength. He wasn’t depending on the world. He was the strength that came to the world. He was the refuge that would take our sins and the strength that would defeat sin to allow us to spend eternity with the Father.
So, we can be still. War can rage. Kingdoms can fall. God is our refuge and our strength. Baby Jesus, a dependent infant, our fortress and our strength. He could take on the form of an infant because this world isn’t what defined Him. He was defined by His Father.
I know this was a long letter. Sorry… I try to make them short. But, I want you to know that Jesus loves you enough to speak. Slow down, let the chaos of the world surround you, lean into the Fortress and the Strength, and BE STILL. Stand amazed that the Lord Almighty is with us. He knows what we see on this earth. We know who He is.
Happy Birthday Jesus! We love you so much.
Mom