Click above to listen to Away in a Manger as you read. This piano solo is from 2009 Best Holiday Album December Peace (ZMR Awards, winning over Enya and Yo-Yo Ma). If you enjoy, please consider sampling and ordering the CD, MP3 Album or sheet music. You can also listen and download on iTunes and all other digital outlets.
This story is from 31 Days of December Peace (soft cover or eBook). Also available from Amazon Kindle, iTunes, and other e-Readers.
Where could you use some “December Peace” today?
God is not Silent ~ by Ken Boa, www.kenboa.org (Copyright 2012, Ken Boa, not to be re-published without permission)
“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” – John 1:14
Meditation
Despite what anyone may think or feel, despite what you may have felt at times, God is not silent. Throughout history, he has used whatever it took to reach the ears of the people whom he loved. He spoke to Moses on a mountain so people would know how to live. He spoke to Elijah in a still small voice to tell him that he was not alone and that his mission was not completed. He spoke to Ezekiel through a vision so that Ezekiel would not fail to tell his exiled people that God could go anywhere. He spoke through dreams and visions and visitations, through angels, through a donkey, through his law. He spoke volumes through the prophets, who each received a certain measure of the revelation of God. But their revelation was incomplete. So God, himself, in the flesh, came down. God’s final word to mankind was Jesus Christ, Son of God, the “image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation” (Colossians 1:15), “the radiance of God’s glory” (Hebrews 1:3). Jesus did not just speak about God or for God (as the prophets had). He spoke as God. The entire universe belonged to a tiny baby in a manger who would grow up and speak the most important words we would ever hear. No wonder we failed to understand. But now that we do, we must do as Moses commanded: when the one God sends comes, we must listen to everything he tells us.
Prayer
Holy Son of the living God, all the Scripture that was written prior to your incarnation pointed directly to you and anticipated your person and work. You are the perfect fulfillment of the Messianic prophecies that spoke of your redeeming work as the Savior of the world, and of the prophecies that remain to be fulfilled when you come to judge the world and rule in righteousness. It is clear to me that I cannot fully understand your great story without the witness of inspired Scripture prior to the coming of the Lord Jesus. Remind me to regularly expose myself to the whole counsel of your Word by drinking deeply from the well of both Testaments. Grant me the time to read, meditate, pray and trust in your promises found there, and allow me to see Jesus in every page. In your life-giving name I pray. Amen.
