God meets us right where we don't believe. When our believing runs out, God's loving runs on. The miracle always is that God is gracious, that grace carries us and breathes life into the dead and impossible places, that grace- a thousand graces-explodes the doubting silence in our hearts.
- Ann Voskamp
Writing has been my airbag. I always want to remind myself that God is so good. I want to write the things that He has been doing in my life so that when I run out of water I would always run to Him and remind myself of what He has been doing because the enemy tries harder to instill lies and doubts not to believe in God, we're in a constant battle while we're here.
My temperature is one-o-eight since Sunday. Soup and water have been my food since then. I just sleep all day, unable to do anything but I can write now. I couldn't stop myself not to write. The rain is pouring hard, I'm grateful to my parents who still take care of me.
Rest.
It was so hard for me not to do anything. It was my ego forcing me to work a lot. I would just literally stop when I got a high fever. I always wanted to prove that I have something to offer so I can be worthy of anything because I felt that I would be useless anymore if I stopped. Thus, the enemy knows when and where I am most vulnerable. Those lies he insists in my mind, no one really loves me for who I am, the people around me love me because of what I can do for them, and no one would really love me for just being me. And now, that I can't do anything for them, it's easy for them to forget and leave me.
Sadgirl. Satan is a liar.
I won't deny, it was disappointing when the enemy reminds me of that. It was lonely and sad. But now, I know the truth, it's hard to live in the truth but the Lord is so gracious because His grace sustains us; when we don't know what to do, when we don't have the strength and when it's hard to believe.
Maybe lies have been always there always shouting out loud but the truth speaks in silence because God is near. And I always need to seek Him so I'll be reminded that I am His beloved. I am bound to fail on my strength, I can't do anything on my own so I always need to come to him even in my failures and weaknesses because He always welcomes me and removes all the lies. Jesus is the truth and I am living under the grace of God and by His mercy alone.
God has been silent for four hundred years. It's the time when all the miracles begin. No one has glimpsed an angel for at least half a millennium.
Angel glory appeared in front of an old man who had a barren wife. They were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. Both of them had gray hairs, wrinkled faces, and saggy skin. Elizabeth was barren and Zechariah was an old priest. And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him and fear fell upon him.
But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid Zechariah for your prayer has been heard and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great before the Lord'' Luke 1:13-15
Zechariah, an old priest not even a notable one but witnessed the first miracles at Christmas. He doubted and was so afraid like a usual person. Though the angel already sent all the confirmation that God has heard his prayers, it's really hard for him to believe. Thus, he was unable to speak until he realized the vision in the temple.
Then I continued reading, the birth of Jesus Foretold. When Gabriel, an angel sent by God went to Mary to tell her that she was the favored one. I am in wonder because the angel also said the first words to Mary just like to Zechariah, "Don't be afraid''
And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever and of his kingdom, there will be no end."
And Mary said to the angel " How will this be since I am a virgin?"
And the angel answered her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who has called barren."
For nothing will be impossible with God.
And Mary said, "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her. (Luke 1:30-38)
I realized I am also afraid. I am afraid that no one would value and cherish me when I don't have anything to offer. But God is reminding me to always come to Him and He will always welcome me even if I'm afraid, even in my weaknesses, He will still deliver His promises just like Zechariah and just like Mary. I need to come to Him even if I don't know what's next, I just need to trust Him and obey Him. I won't be enough and that's okay because God is more than enough. Jesus is the answer.
Mary a young lady, never knew what might happen after the angel appeared to her but she chose a life of obedience. She never thought of what would be the opinions of other people when she bore a child, or what Joseph might think of her. She was ready to be a servant of the LORD, forgetting her own desires and saying YES to what God called her. A radical woman, a woman of God.
The first miracle of Christmas says, "Don't be afraid, for nothing will be impossible with God. Come as you are."
Our society now is full of fear. We're afraid to be imperfect, afraid to be alone, afraid to be rejected, afraid not to have a title, power, fame, money, name it all. But the first Christmas reminds me and assures me that it's all by His grace, miracles come not because we can do something for it but because God is gracious. Nothing to prove, nothing to do- it's all His work. God is at work and all we need to do is to walk in obedience even if we don't know what's next because He who promised is always faithful.
You don't have to earn Christmas, you don't have to perform Christmas, you don't have to make Christmas. You can rest in Christ. You can wait with Christ. You can breathe easy in Christ. Open your heart to the miracle of Grace. He will prepare your heart for the coming of the Lord. This is the true preparedness of heart for coming to Christ, the preparedness of coming to him just as you are.
Ann Voskamp
Your name has been drawn. Come to Him just as you are. Give up trying to be self-made: this is your gift to Him- and His gift to you. Simply come. The miracle of Christmas is that you get more than proof of God's existence. You get the experience of God's presence.
Charles Spurgeon
God withholds no good thing from you because the good things in life are not so much about health, but holiness; not so much riches in this world but the relationship with God; not so much our plans, but His presence- and He withholds no good thing from us because the greatest things aren't ever things. He does not withhold Jesus from you. You can always have as much of Jesus as you want.
- The Greatest Gift
Come as you are, you need help? Are you tired, lonely, empty, sick, or discouraged? Come as you are.
No matter how deep the emptiness you feel, you can always have as much of Jesus as you want. Come as you are, no more hiding, no more pretending, and no more trying. He sees you, He knows you, and He cares for you, just come as you are because in Him nothing is impossible.
For nothing will be impossible with God.
Luke 1:37
