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Listen while you read: "O Holy Night"1 (Lyrics) |
"It wasn't worth it," screeched the commanding officer. But it was.
Combat was ferocious, and many soldiers were dying. They were friends in the thick of it. When one of them was injured and couldn't return to the trenches, the other violated his commander's orders and searched for his buddy. He was mortally wounded in the process, and the friend he carried back was dead. His commander questioned the worth of his mission, but the young man smiled and quietly said, "It was worth it, sir, because when I got to him, he said, 'Jim, I knew you'd come.'"
Advent happened at just the right time:
Galatians 4:4 – But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. (NLT)
Alexander the Great made Greek the universal language of commerce and government, and the ingenious Romans constructed a magnificent array of roads. The Jews received and held securely God's law and prophecies of the coming Messiah. When the Messiah arrived, the news of His birth was heralded over paved roads in a tongue understandable to most.
Just as the soldier saw his friend as worth saving and dying for, so God saw us as worth rescuing as well. God created us to love Him, commune with Him, and serve Him, but sin broke the bond. The advent of the Messiah and His resulting death was God's attempt to restore what the enemy stole — a successful attempt.
God always responds to human need in His time, not ours. Our duty is to trust His judgment, wait on His timing, and believe that He has our best interests at heart. This duty is called faith and is our belief that we need Him to come for us. With our dying breath, we, like Jim, say, "We knew You'd come."
Prayer: Merciful Father, who looked down from heaven on our present and eternal need, we pause during this Christmas season to thank You for coming for us at just the right time. May we always herald the message of Your love to a hurting world. Amen.
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Saturday, May 18, 2024 – In North Africa — Living in North Africa we get so used to hearing the call to prayer it becomes like background noise and sometimes I don't hear it anymore. I am challenged by the fact that some Muslims are so committed to pray that they go to the mosque 5 times a day. Would you consider, with me, setting your alarm to go off at 3:00 every day and pray for these three things: 5 families to come to know Christ, 3 people for us to read scripture with,1 new church plant.
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This is an amazing and touching story. Right up your alley!
Martin: Thank you for your words tonight. I wish you a blessed Christmas.
Wonderful thoughts Martin. Merry Christmas!
Blessings.
Thank you, Martin. That was a very appropriate devotional.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Praise God for His perfect timing and that He saw us as worth rescuing. Merry Christmas to you and yours!
Dear Martin,
Thank you for your words this morning to affirm Faith when we tend to falter.
God Bless you.
Martin – I loved your message. We need faith and patience regarding the events of our lives, knowing that He will accomplish them in His time. Thanks for writing.
May you and yours have a blessed Christmas.
That was an excellent comparison: a devoted soldier giving his life for a companion’s need AND God noting our eternal needs sent His Son who painfully sacrificed His life to save us (if we will only believe.) We liked that!
Martin,
Great Story! I am passing it on to my friends and enemies!
God bless!
(Texas)
Hi Martin,
Thank you for your devotional this morning. Such true words, and we are so glad that he did come, an event we celebrate every Christmas. It is so sad that so many people ignore the true meaning of Christmas and zero in on the commercialism, and the giving of material things only.
Blessings.
Martin, as always, your message is so beautifully couched in real life circumstances that help us to understand the spiritual principle. How I love to hear this message – over and over again. Your ‘voice’ is a particular favourite of mine.
Thank you so much for caring about all of us readers, and taking the time to be led by The Lord into words and examples that make the message sing!
God bless.
A powerful devotional!
Thank you, Martin Wiles.
Galatians 4:4 – But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. (NLT)
Alexander the Great made Greek the universal language of commerce and government, and the ingenious Romans constructed a magnificent array of roads. The Jews received and held securely God’s law and prophecies of the coming Messiah. When the Messiah arrived, the news of His birth was heralded over paved roads in a tongue understandable to most.
I pray that Jesus will come to many many persons in the world now.
For his sake and the sake of all, may heaven’s occupants be increased — after they have served in appreciation on earth.
Thank you, Martin. That was a very appropriate devotional.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Many many Blessings, Martin, on you and yours.
With Jesus love.