THE PROBLEMS OF CHRISTMAS
INTRODUCTION: LETS FACE IT, WE ALL HAVE PROBLEMS. PROBLEMS DO NOT TAKE A VACATION, AND IN FACT, IT SEEMS AS THOUGH THE MORE SIGNIFICANT THE TIME OF YEAR, THE MORE PROBLEMS SEEM TO CROP UP.
IN REALITY, PROBLEMS COME WHEN PROBLEMS COME. IT IS OUR ALREADY FULL CALENDAR, ADDITIONAL STRESS, LIMITED TIME, ETC. THAT MAKE THESE POP-UP PROBLEMS SEEM SO MUCH MORE IN NUMBER AND INTENSITY.
CHRISTMAS IS NOT DIFFERENT. IN TRUTH, I HAVE HAD MY SHARE OF PROBLEMS THIS CHRISTMAS SEASON. THE MOST “OUTLANDISH” ONE WOULD HAVE BEEN WHEN WE HAD OUR FIRST COLD SNAP. I GOT UP ON MONDAY AND GOT READY TO GO TO THE JUMP. I DID ALL THE NORMAL THINGS: TAKE LUCAS OUT FOR A WALK, CHECK. BRUSH MY TEETH, CHECK. GET THE THINGS I NEEDED FOR THE GYM, CHECK. GOT IN THE TRUCK, CHECK. START THE TRUCK, NOPE.
I HAD A DEAD BATTERY, OR AT LEAST A BATTERY HAVING HEART PROBLEMS. I COULD NOT BELIEVE IT! I DID ACT FAST AND GOT THE BATTERY DEFIBRILLATOR OUT OF THE BACK OF MY VEHICLE (READ BATTERY PACK), HIT THE FAILING BATTERY AND WE STARTED. I WENT TO THE GYM AND DID MY WORKOUT. WENT BACK TO THE TRUCK AND SHE DID START AGAIN, BUT IT WAS OBVIOUS, THIS BATTERY NEEDED HOSPICE. I WENT DIRECTLY TO MY MECHANIC, WHERE I WAS ABLE TO GET THE BATTERY REPLACED ( I HAD BOUGHT IT FROM HIM). OF COURSE, THE WARRANTY WAS EXPIRED AND THE PRO-RATED COST WAS ABOUT 60% OF A NEW BATTERY. AND TO TOP IT ALL OFF, WHEN THEY WENT TO OPEN THE HOOD TO DO THE INITIAL BATTERY CHECK, THE HOOD LATCH UNDER THE DASH BROKE OFF, FLEW INTO THE BACK SEAT LEAVING ME WITH THE ONLY WAY TO OPEN THE HOOD IS WITH A PAIR OF PLYERS. OF COURSE, THE HOOD CABLE IS, LIKE JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING ELSE, ON BACK ORDER.
LOOK, AFTER THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, THIS MIGHT HAVE SEEMED HUMOROUS, BUT RIGHT NOW, WITH LITTLE SPARE TIME AND A LOT TO GET DONE, IT WAS A “I CAN’T BELIEVE THIS IS HAPPENING) MOMENT.
TRANSITION: PROBLEMS HAPPEN; EVEN AT THE BIRTH OF CHRIST, THERE WERE SOME PROBLEMS THAT CROPPED UP. LET’S LOOK AT A COUPLE, EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE PROBABLY MORE..
PROBLEM #1 – UNBELIEF
LUKE 1:18 (NIV) ZECHARIAH ASKED THE ANGEL, "HOW CAN I BE SURE OF THIS? I AM AN OLD MAN AND MY WIFE IS WELL ALONG IN YEARS."
YOU KNOW THE STORY: ZECHARIAH IS IN THE TEMPLE PERFORMING THE DUTIES ASSIGNED TO HIM AND HIS CLAN.
AN ANGEL APPEARS TO HIM AND TELLS HIM THAT HIS PRAYER HAS BEEN ANSWERED AND HE AND HIS WIFE ARE GOING TO HAVE A BABY. AND IT IS A BOY!
UNBELIEF IS A PROBLEM FOR A COUPLE OF REASONS:
IT LEADS TO THE SIN OR PRESUMPTION – THINKING WE KNOW WHAT IS RIGHT AND THEN ACTING ON OUR BELIEF
THE OTHER PROBLEM (AND THERE ARE PROBABLY MORE) IS THAT UNBELIEF HAS A WAY OF BLEEDING INTO EVERY AREA OF OUR LIVES
ONCE WE DOUBT GOD’S ABILITY IN ONE AREA, IT IS SO EASY TO LET CIRCUMSTANCES CAST DOUBT ON OTHER AREAS OF OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD
PROTECTION
PROVISION
PROMISES
ZECHARIAH WOULD RECEIVE A POWERFUL LESSON. HE WOULD BE MUTE UNTIL THE BIRTH OF HIS SON JOHN.
HE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO TELL ANYONE ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED
HE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO TELL ANYONE ABOUT HOW GOD HAD HEARD THEIR PRAYERS.
THE WAY TO HINDER DOUBT IN OUR LIVES IS SIMPLE. WELL, KIND OF. WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS COME TO GRIPS THAT GOD IS ALL ABOUT THE IMPOSSIBLE.
WHEN WE UNDERSTAND THAT GOD PLAYS BY A DIFFERENT SET OF RULES, AND I CONSTANTLY COLORING OUTSIDE THE LINES, THEN DOUBT TURNS INTO WOW, LOOK WHAT GOD CAN DO.
ZECHARIAH COULD SEE THE WOW, BUT BECAUSE OF DOUBT COULD NOT SHARE THE WOW WIH ANYONE
SO, THIS CHRISTMAS – EMBRACE THE WOW OF GOD IN YOUR LIFE AND REJECT DOUBT.
PROBLEM #2 – STRUGGLING WITH THE WILL OF GOD
LUKE 1:29 (NIV) MARY WAS GREATLY TROUBLED AT HIS WORDS AND WONDERED WHAT KIND OF GREETING THIS MIGHT BE.
MATTHEW 1:20 (NIV) BUT AFTER HE HAD CONSIDERED THIS, AN ANGEL OF THE LORD APPEARED TO HIM IN A DREAM AND SAID, "JOSEPH SON OF DAVID, DO NOT BE AFRAID TO TAKE MARY HOME AS YOUR WIFE, BECAUSE WHAT IS CONCEIVED IN HER IS FROM THE HOLY SPIRIT.
BOTH MARY AND JOSEPH STRUGGLED WITH THE WILL OF GOD.
OFTEN, WE HAVE AND WILL STRUGGLE WITH GOD’S WILL
MARY STRUGGLED WITH HOW CAN ALL OF THIS BE. SHE HAD NO IDEA ABOUT HOW IT WOULD HAPPEN – CONCEPTION WITHOUT A MAN. I AM ALSO SURE SHE HAD NO IDEA WHAT THIS WOULD BRING IN THE RESPONSE OF THOSE WHO SAW HER.
JOSEPH, STRUGGLED WITH GOD’S WILL AS WELL. HE THOUGHT HE WAS DOING RIGHT BY DIVORCING MARY AND WAS ABOUT TO DO SO UNTIL AN ANGEL TOLD HIM DIFFERENT.
WHAT YOU NOTICE ABOUT BOTH IS THAT BOTH WON THEIR STRUGGLE WITH THE WILL OF GOD BY DOING ONE SIMPLE THING.
I AM REMINDED OF JACOB IN GENESIS 22, WHERE HE WRESTLED WITH GOD. IT WAS AN ALL-NIGHT BATTLE. WE OFTEN FOCUS ON THE EVENT THAT GOD TOUCHED THE HIP OF JACOB IN ORDER TO “WIN”.
WHAT WE MISS IS THE DIALOGUE
YOU SEE JACOB HAD SENT HIS FAMILY AND POSSESSION ON AHEAD TO MEET HIS BROTHER ESAU. THE DESIRE WAS TO APPEASE HIS BROTHER SO HE WOULD NOT KILL HIM FOR HIS PAST DECEPTION.
NOW, BY HIMSELF, JACOB FACED OFF WITH GOD.
JACOB SOUGHT A BLESSING FROM GOD -- GENESIS 32:26 (NIV) THEN THE MAN SAID, "LET ME GO, FOR IT IS DAYBREAK." BUT JACOB REPLIED, "I WILL NOT LET YOU GO UNLESS YOU BLESS ME."
THEN WE FIND THIS:
THE LORD ASKING HIM HIS NAME ELICITED NOTHING LESS THAN A CONFESSION, FOR JACOB MEANS “HEEL–CATCHER” OR “DECEIVER.” HAVING CONFESSED, HE COULD THEN BE BLESSED. “YOUR NAME SHALL NO LONGER BE JACOB,” THE MAN SAID, “BUT ISRAEL [MEANING “GOD FIGHTS”]; FOR YOU HAVE STRIVEN WITH GOD AND WITH MEN AND HAVE PREVAILED” (GENESIS 32:28).
ISRAEL CALLED THE PLACE WHERE THE CHANGE HAD OCCURRED PENIEL. THE NAME MEANS “GOD’S FACE,” REVEALING THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE EVENT.
WHAT HAPPENED HERE IN ORDER TO WIN THE STRUGGLE WITH GOD’S WILL FOR HIS LIFE – IE: WHAT GOD WANTED OF HIM, JACOB SURRENDERED HIS NAME – WHO HE WAS, AND GOT SOMETHING DIFFERENT FROM GOD.
MARY AND JOSEPH WON, THEIR STRUGGLE WITH THE WILL OF GOD THE SAME WAY. THEY SURRENDERED THEIR WILL TO GOD’S WILL
THIS CHRISTMAS, MAKE IT A POINT TO ACCEPT THA ALTHOUGH GOD’S WILL MAY NOT BE YOURS OR MAY BE HARD TO COMPREHEND, THE BEST THING YOU CAN DO IS SURRENDER TO GOD’S WILL. THE RESULTS OF THAT SIMPLE ACT ARE MONUMENTAL.
AFTER ALL ISN’T THAT WHAT JESUS DID IN THE GARDEN WHEN HE SAID, “NOT MY WILL BUT THINE BE DONE.” YOU AND I, SOME 2,000 YEARS LATER ARE THE BENEFACTORS OF THAT SURRENDER.
