There is nothing more joyous than the birth of a child. You plan... you wait. In the case of Abraham and Sarah, they waited and waited... and then waited some more. Twenty five years of waiting. They were already a bit long in the tooth before God promised them a child, but age, time and circumstance did nothing to extinguish their JOY. Laughter became the only suitable response in light of God's great faithfulness to them.

A child born to save our fallen, sinful humanity "will rule forever with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David." (vs.7) We may not see much of it these days, but PEACE is what we long for... peace in our homes and families, peace among our friends and in our own hearts. Because we known the LORD will return one day and reign in the chaos, we can have peace in our hearts and proclaim "Glory to God in the highest, and PEACE on earth to all whom God favors." (vs. 14)

"May the word of the LORD ring out from you to people everywhere, for wherever we go, we find people telling us about your faith in God. ...they speak of how you are looking forward to the coming of God's son from heaven - Jesus, whom God raised from the dead. He is the one who has rescued us..." 1 Thessalonians 1:8-10

There is no greater HOPE to be found than that of a promised King and Redeemer. Come, LORD Jesus!

Perhaps one of the most recognized of Jesus' parables is the wise man vs. the foolish man and where each of them chose to build their house. The practice, even back then, was certainly to find the most secure footing on which to build your home, lest it fall into a heap of rubble at the first deluge of wind and waves. Does this parable, though, speak more about our own personal and spiritual foundation than sand vs. stone?

Some people learn by reading about things; some by hearing about them. It seems a good way, though, to really learn and take in information is by doing and engaging in the process. How often has a parent taught something new to a small child... "practice makes perfect", they say. It's not really about perfection, but the doing itself... especially when it serves another. How great it would be to really get good at doing for others?

Persistence is an admirable quality... ask any toddler. The widow's persistence against an unjust judge in Luke 18 is exactly the persistence needed by Christians today... prayer, prayer and more prayer for justice and for Jesus' second coming. This is not a "change God's mind" or a "God, I'd really like..." kind of prayer, but constant prayer that sets our eyes on that glorious day when Christ returns. This active faith trusts in God's character and plan, and is crucial for maintaining hope in a struggling world.

"And I assure you of this: If anyone acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I, the Son of Man, will openly acknowledge that person in the presence of God's angels." v. 8 NLT

The right sort of fear can save your life. As believers, we know the fear of the LORD refers to the awe and amazement we experience when we draw close to and worship God. But things go sideways when the wrong kind of fear creeps in... fear of men and circumstances. The truth of Jesus, His love and gift of salvation is ALWAYS the best response to someone's pain and hurt. Don't let the fear of man rob you of even one chance to win someone for His kingdom.

It is an amazing thing when the words of Jesus meet the action of humans. We live in a very broken world which is home to 8 billion broken people. We know God's word is the balm every human soul desires, but might our own person interactions - showing the love of the Creator to others - be the actual glue that begins to repair and make strong again what is shattered?