All of that reminded me of a quote I heard on a Family Life Today podcast.  I don’t remember the original author, but the words are encouraging.

“Most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you’re listening to yourself instead of talking to yourself.  The main art in the matter of spiritual living is to know how to handle yourself.  You have to take yourself in hand, you have to address yourself, preach to yourself, you must say to your soul, ‘Hope thou in God,” instead of muttering in this depressed, unhappy way.  You must go on to remind yourself of God.  Who He is, what God is, and what God has done and what God has pleged Himself to do.”

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?”  Jeremiah 17:9

Don’t listen to your heart.  Preach to yourself the truth of God.  Let His words of life refresh your soul.

That’s not a verse from the Bible, but God used it to speak to me this week.  Those words caused me to think about my attitude toward God as a giver and the gifts He has given me.

Honestly, most of the time it is easiest for me to have an ungrateful heart toward God.  I can always think of something I want right now that I don’t have.  Then I think of good things that God has given me that I don’t want because I want something better.

Thinking this way does (at least) two things.  I start to believe God is keeping something good from me, and I start to believe that God doesn’t really know what is good for me because He gave me the “wrong” gifts.

“A lie believed as true will affect our lives as if it were true.”

When I believe those two lies as if they are true then I can’t see God for who He really is.  It affects my relationship with God.

I decide in my heart that since God hasn’t given me the things I want or since He has given me things I don’t want then He must not love me like He says He does.  Or He isn’t really good like He says He is.  Or like Eve I believe that He is keeping something good from me.  I believe I have somehow earned these good things from God and He owes me.

These are all lies that I am believing are true.  But the best news ever is that I don’t deserve any of it, and He gives it to me anyway!  In fact, I deserve death, but He has given me life!

When my thinking starts to turn to lies I need to hear and believe the truth of God.  God does not change.  His love for me never fails, and he is always good.  He has always been and always will be a Father who knows how to give good gifts to his children.  And because of Jesus I can know that I am his child.

What lies do you believe about God?  Don’t let yourself be decieved with lies.  Find the truth that can set you free from those lies.  Live in the Word of God.

Praise the Lord, O my soul;
and forget not all his benefits–

who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,

who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,

who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

Psalm 103:1-5

The Lord is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.

He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;
he hears their cry and saves them.

Psalm 145:18-19

“Dance until no one’s watching!”  “It doesn’t hurt to try.  Well sometimes it does hurt to try.”

“It’s a nice story, I just think it’s a little too easy.”

Just one of the funny moments in the movie Elf!

“Am I sick?”  “Yeah, but that’s not why we’re here.”

Psalm 105:3-4

It is the familiar story of Jesus visiting at the house of Martha and her sister Mary.  While Jesus is teaching, Mary sits at his feet and listens as her sister, Martha, is busy serving.  Martha is bothered by her sister’s actions and tells Jesus to correct Mary.  Instead, Martha receives gentle correction and Mary receives praise.

I used to give up on this short story so quickly.  I never quite understood why Martha was corrected for serving.  When I read these few verses today one word caught my attention, and God used it to bring me some clarity on what he told Martha that day.

Verse 40 says, “But Martha was distracted with much serving.”  Martha is serving Jesus and people, but her service was distracting her from the most important thing, listening to Jesus’ teaching.

Martha appeals to Jesus for her sister’s help, but instead receives a gentle rebuke.  “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary.  Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

I can imagine Jesus speaking softly to Martha and lovingly correcting her thinking.  Like a father to a daughter Jesus disciplines Martha in order to produce the “peaceful fruit of righteousness” in her life.

As I read this I wonder how often I let service distract me from “the good portion, which will not be taken away.”  And when I am distracted, can I hear the voice of Jesus saying, “Anna, Anna, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary”?  And when Jesus corrects or disciplines me do I understand it as love?  Do you?

“For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”  Heb. 12:6

O Come, O Come Immanuel paints a good picture of Israel longing for a promised Redeemer.  Each verse speaks of God’s people needing a savior:

“ransom captive Israel”
“free thine own from Satan’s tyranny”
“from depths of hell thy people save”

And in between each verse the chorus exclaims with hope the promise of God to send that savior:

“Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.”

Israel longed for a savior and God promised one.  In Isaiah 7, God tells the king of Judah “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”  Immanuel means God is with us.  God’s promised savior was to be with his people.

In Matthew and Luke we can read about the birth of that promised savior, of Immanuel, God with us.

The verses of this song remind me of my need and longing for a savior.  I’m reminded of my need to be ransomed from the captivity of sin and to be saved from the depths of hell.  Then the chorus comes, and I can celebrate knowing that Jesus did come and he has saved me.  And on December 25 I can celebrate the birth of Jesus, the promised savior.  And I can celebrate the faithfulness of God, who promised a savior and fulfilled that promise in Jesus.

Pay attention to the lyrics of the Christmas songs you hear this season and you will hear of the great love God has for you.

from Soak It Up by Warren Barfield