I believe that Anne Graham Lotz, in her book, "God's Story," captured the essence of what is before us in this Christmas Season. She wrote, "The black velvety sky was clear and studded with sparkling stars that had looked down on earth since the beginning of time. Shepherds appeared to be sitting idly by their flocks, but in fact, were keeping a sharp lookout for anything or anyone who might harm the sheep entrusted to their care."
Do you see it? The Christmas Story is usually presented in such a way as to portray the shepherds as sleepy, with nothing to do. But that was not the case—even in Christmas, there was a battle. There were dangers with which to contend—wild animals, rustlers, and even wandering sheep. I know many would not like to view it this way, but all of life is really a battle. We have an Enemy, and when we surrender to his enemy, the Lord Himself, there will be a battle. When we back down and compromise, the battle goes away to a large degree—and that is what so many want—except for God! Do you remember the story of Abraham and the great test that God had for him? In Genesis 22:2, we read, "And He said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of." Would Abraham be willing to give back to God every promise—including the Child of Promise, a picture of Christ? We see no arguing with God—or trying to reason and bargain with Him—none of that; pure trust and belief! And even when Isaac questioned something about the whole experience, Abraham is unflappable—Isaac asked, "Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" (vs. 7b) His father responded, "My son, God will provide Himself a lamb for a burnt offering..." (vs. 8a) God will do it—the battle is the Lord's.
God must have been looking down through the millennia, for it would not be a lamb—it would be a ram, one caught in a thicket. (vs. 13) Jesus, the offering that sets us free from sin, would not stay a baby, but grow up and go to the thicket of the Cross, and experience its thorns—the nails. Praise God! Join us as this booklet will take us on four legs of a journey seeing the battle as belonging to the Lord. The first week will be spent in the Old Testament; the second, in the Gospel of John and the seven miracle's he highlights; the third week will focus on the miraculous in the Book of Acts, the story of the fledgling church; and finally, the last week before Christmas—with all of the commotion and the busyness of a real battle—our view will be towards the real reason for the season, namely Jesus our Lord. I don't doubt that you are going through a battle right now—some heartache, some discouragement, some loss—but none of it is a good reason to pull away from the battle of commitment to God and to His church. Come on—enter in, and be truly blessed with a Merry Christmas! God loves you; will you truly love Him?
