Corona Devo 3023

Christmas hasn't come yet, but I think I have already given and gotten my best gifts: a bag of potato chips (given) and purity-in-recieving-God's Word (been given). 

My friend Tammy at our local nursing home had her a hand in both.

At last month's visit, Tammy had mentioned that her favorite snack was a BBQ flavor chip made by Snyder of Berlin.

"Them are sooooo good!", she sang out to me, as her eyes lit up. 

Tammy tracks with most of what I do and say and read when I am visiting the nursing home, but she has a few special needs, and this allows her to surprise me at times with her honesty (sometimes good, sometimes not-so-good), and her willingness to receive Bible teachings is particularly special and encouraging to me.  

Every Bible account that I read or share falls on her ears as if it's the first time she has ever heard of it, and she's always amazed at God's Word.  

Are we?

Or have we heard some parts of the Bible so often that they have lost their luster?  

Heavenly and Holy Father, forgive us if Your Holy Bible ever becomes anything but sacred and amazing to our ears.  Forgive us for growing desensitized to Biblical accounts, and in particular, awaken our hearts today to be amazed by the history of that holy day/night when our Savior was born.  
Make us pure in heart so that we might see You, Lord.  Amen.

~~

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. (5) He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. (6) While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, (7) and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. ~Luke 2:4-7

Tammy was flabbergasted that Jesus didn't have a hotel-room for the night. And I could tell that it didn't make sense to her that He was born in a stable and laid to sleep in an animal food trough (manger).

That is a wild way for the Savior of the world to enter the world, isn't it? Or have we forgotten? Why aren't we flabbergasted?

Sometimes God wakes us up to His Word through the eyes of others.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.  ~Matthew 5:8    

Tammy was wowed to hear about Mary, Joseph, and Jesus, but she was amazed when she learned of angels visiting shepherds with their sheep.  Angels!  

Are we amazed?

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 

(9 )An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. (10) But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. (11) Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. (12) This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 

(13) Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, (14) “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”  

(15) When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”  ~Luke 2:8-15

"Coooool", Tammy cooed when I finished reading those verses.

It is cool.  Very cool.  

How could we ever become unimpressed with this angelic-appearance in the Bible?  Very uncool.

Shame on us for our spiritual indifference, and thank you, Tammy for re-opening my spiritual eyes to what occurred that holy night.  

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.  ~Matthew 5:8  

Make us pure today, Father.  We want to see You.  Amen.

~~~

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. (17) When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, (18) and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. (19) But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. (20) The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.  ~Luke 2:16-20

Have we heard this Bible account, concerning what has been told to us about this child (Jesus)?  

If we have heard it...are we amazed?

We should be.  

Tammy sure was.  

And when we were done reading books and visiting, I handed her a bag stuffed with some tissue paper and a bag of Snyder of Berlin BBQ chips.

It took her a while to remove the tissue paper, but when her eyes saw, and her mind registered what was in the bag... she screamed. 

Well, she looked like she was screaming, but no sound came out.  She just rocked back and forth with her mouth open.  

It was the best reaction I've ever had from a gift I've given someone. 

And the gift that Tammy gives me as she receives the Bible afresh each time is a gift that has more value than anything I'll find under my Christmas tree.  

To remember...to be spiritually-stirred...to know the power of God's Word: it's priceless.

May each of us be jostled back to the amazing Truth of the Christmas story as told by God Himself through His Word, the Bible.  

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.  ~Matthew 5:8    

Lord, may your Holy Bible never lose its luster to us.  Refresh our hearts and minds to see Your relevance in our lives daily.  May we be amazed all-over-again by the birth of our Savior!  Amen.  

Blessings, 

sarah 

https://sarahsundy04.blogspot.com