Rehearsing Christmas Past to our Christmas Present for our Christmas Future
Bill and I have been reading through the Old Testament book of Joshua for the last month or so, and this morning we got to the part where the whole nation had been allotted their share of the land, the people were nestled all snug in their cities, and were anxious to begin living life in their new country. Joshua took the time to remind them of where they'd been, (led by Moses out of Egypt and through 40 years in the desert); what God had done for them, (given them the land); and what their responsibilities were now, (love and serve the Lord with their whole hearts). Joshua 21:43-22:6So I was thinking about Joshua's leadership, and how he was expert at reminding his people where they'd been, where they were, and where they were going. He rehearsed the past, present and future to them often. This helped Israel retain their vision and understanding of "where they fit" in God's big picture. It gave them a sense of security and purpose for themselves, as well as responsibility to others and to God.I believe we need to verbalize this vision, too, of where we've been, what God has done, and where we fit in His big picture. Christmas is a great time to be "Joshua" to our families by:
- Rehearsing the Lord's faithfulness in our Christmas' past,
- Reminding them of His faithfulness in this present Christmas, and
- Remembering that Jesus will be in our Christmas future, whatever life may hold.
It is so important to pass down to our children and grandchildren an understanding of where they fit in their family history, as well as confidence that God is here with us in this present time, and will be with us in the future.So here's my idea: what if one of the goals this Christmas isn't just to get our lists done, but to set aside time to speak about what God has done for us this year, and in years past? What if Christmas day had a time to rehearse His faithfulness to you and your family in the past, His goodness to you this year, and your trust in Jesus for the future? How might that reorient and recalibrate everyone's vision that day? Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel (which means, God with us). Matthew 1:23