Read John 1:1-14
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)
At the very heart of the Christmas story is GRACE and GLORY:
- The stable and manger are evidence of GRACE as Christ emptied Himself of divine limitlessness and came to abject poverty as a helpless infant for our sake.
- Joseph too represents GRACE as he took on the cost and shame of a "socially incorrect" birth to support Mary and provide and protect the Son of God.
- Mary treasured all these things in her heart, as she looked at the GLORY of God lying in her arms and lifted her eyes to the Father in faith-filled astonishment.
- The shepherds beheld this GLORY as the angels proclaimed, "GLORY to God in the Highest!" and they responded with haste to see this little one worthy of such praise.
- The magi demonstrated both GRACE and GLORY with their sacrificial GLORY that invested time, effort and resources to follow a star in order to worship this heavenly newborn King, and with their timely gifts of practical GRACE that financed this tax-poor family's flight to Egypt.
GRACE and GLORY are the gifts we too can and should give to our Lord and others every day of the year. Gifts not wrapped in paper and ribbon, but with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control. How like our gracious, glorious God to provide "free gift wrapping" through the grace of His indwelling Spirit! They are gifts no one ever wants to return.
Both GRACE giving and GLORY giving requires thought, effort and sacrifice. David said in 2 Samuel 24:24, "I will not offer to the Lord what costs me nothing." Our Lord is worth the cost of GLORY. Those in our lives are worth the cost of GRACE. However, whatever the cost, we are the ones who receive the most in giving GRACE and GLORY. Everyone benefits when we give them daily.
If we are going to consistently give GRACE AND GLORY, we need more than mere intent. We have to be intentional. It will not happen if we do life on autopilot. We easily default to what is comfortable, convenient and controllable. How very grateful we need to be that none of those involved in this wonderful event chose any of those over GRACE and GLORY. They had a choice; so do we.
May each of us choose to prioritize GRACE and GLORY throughout the holiday season and every day of the coming year.
Making It Personal
How did Jesus demonstrate the constant choosing of GRACE and GLORY?
How would choosing GLORY impact every day decisions you make?
How would choosing GRACE make a difference in how you interact with others?
What major changes need to be made so you consistently give GRACE and GLORY?
New Year’s resolutions are notoriously broken. How can you make sure a commitment to give GRACE and GLORY goes beyond the good intents of a resolution?
My prayer is that you are richly blessed this Christmas. Sharing this journey of Going Beyond the Familiar with you has been an incredible blessing in my life. It has truly been all GRACE, and I gratefully give God all the GLORY.
I would love to hear how the Lord has used these devotions in your life. Just use the “email your comments” link. Thank you! Christi Powers
