Arise, cry out in the night, at the beginning of the night watches!
Pour out your heart like water before the presence of the Lord!
Lift your hands to him for the lives of your children, who faint for hunger at the head of every street.

Lamentations 2:19 ESV


Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Nativity Pushes


If you use electronics—phone, IPad, laptop, etc.—you've probably noticed a prompt to okay an app/program to give you a "push." According to the dictionary, push means to move something in a specified way by exerting force or to press/urge to some action or course. 
 
Scripture tells us of several in the Nativity account who had a "push" prompt happen to them. Those "pushes" came in different and personal ways—angels, visions, dreams, ancient prophecy, a star, the word of the Lord. 
 
Similar to those in the first chapters of Matthew and Luke, we followers of Jesus also receive "push" prompts from the Lord. And, just like them, we each make a choice to pay attention to the push—or not. Mary welcomed the push. Zacharias questioned the push with unbelief. 
 
My prayer for us is that when we experience the Holy Spirit's push, we will respond as Mary—"Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word" … "My soul magnifies the Lord."  
 
I pray that like Joseph we will let go of our plans to stride into God's. I pray we will make haste to find Christ as the lowly shepherds. I pray we will persist like the magoi who, though they became distracted by their own expectations, got back on track to lay their gifts in worship at the feet of the King of kings. I pray we will imitate Anna and Simeon who steadfastly year after year believed the word of the Lord.
 
As followers of the King, every push is meant to press us forward. And our forward movement will magnify the Lord. May that be our daily goal, to exalt our soon to return King.
 
He is coming again--riding a white steed, with the called, chosen, and faithful following Him also on white horses!

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