Behold the Child
by Jerry Ousley
I'll never forget seeing my children for the first time. Our first, Jeremy, was like looking at an awesome creation of God. Our second, Megan, was as if I were looking down on a tiny angel. I was with my wife when both of these children were born.
Then came our granddaughter, Saylor. Of course I wasn't in the room when she was born, but I was one of those nervously pacing the floor in the waiting room. I could remember when Saylor's mother, Megan, was born. It hadn't seemed that long ago and now here she was having a little angel of her own.
I gazed upon these children with the longing of a father and the pride of a grandfather. These children would carry on the legacy of Deb and me. They were truly wondrous to behold.
Of course I think our children and our grandchild are the greatest, best-behaved, and prettiest in the world. That's my biased opinion and frankly I think every parent and grandparent should feel the same about their own children.
When the shepherds, and later on, the Magi, visited the infant child Jesus, I'm certain that they had some of these same thoughts. But they had even more reason to be awed to be in the presence of this child. He was not just a beautiful baby lying in a manger, but He was the Messiah the King of kings, the Savior of the world! There was great reason to be impressed and to rejoice. It not only meant that salvation had come, but He would pay the price to finally, after all those centuries, restore man in his proper relationship with God the Father.
The word "behold" means not just to take a quick glance, but to gaze in amazement and to contemplate just what the meaning of what we are seeing is. This Christmas we need to behold the Child. Not just mention His name in a quick prayer at Christmas Dinner, or to simply read the story of the birth of Christ, but to gaze on Him in contemplation of what He means to us.
In this current economy, no matter how bleak things may seem, regardless the fact that most of us will have a lean Christmas because of the lack of money, we can still have the best Christmas we have ever had because we have taken time to behold the Child.
What are we beholding? Are we gazing on the gifts the pretty wrapped boxes under the tree? Are we beholding all the delectable food spread on the table? We may even be beholding the great debt that so many incur during this time of year. What are we beholding?
We must behold the Child! Yes, there is reason to celebrate because the Savior has come into the world, but we must set our priority right. We must realize what and who we are celebrating. When we do we will be forever changed. He alone can give us reason to rejoice when the world says we should be weeping. He only can make our hearts to be merry when all others say we should mourn. He has brought us life in the midst of death. Behold the child!
When the shepherds heard the good news of the infant child, Jesus, they dropped everything. A good shepherd would never leave his sheep. But this was special. They entrusted the flocks in the hands of God and immediately went to behold the Child. Today, this Christmas, let's realize that the most important aspect of our lives is to behold the Child. Let's gaze upon the Savior and what He has done to change our lives.
The story has been told about a little girl one Christmas morning. She had opened all her gifts and tattered, torn paper, ribbons and bows lay scattered on the floor. She turned from playing with her new toys and admiring her pretty dress and picked up a bow from the floor. Putting it on top of her head she said, "Look, I'm a present!" And that she was.
Jesus was the greatest present we could ever receive. But just for a moment, for a fleeting second, let's put a bow on our heads and tell Jesus, "Look, I'm a present!" Let's make our greatest gift to be our own lives dedicated to Him, as we behold the Child.
Jerry D. Ousley is the Author of four books, "Soul Challenge", "Soul Journey" "Ordeal" and "The Spirit Bread Daily Devotional." Listen to our daily broadcast Spirit Bread. Find out more by visiting www.spiritbread.com
or email us at jousley@spiritbread.com
Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com-CHRISTIAN WRITERS
The Manger
by Jerry Ousley
When I was a kid Grandma and Grandpa, and later, during my teen years, my father as well, raised a few hogs. There was always a feeding trough. A good part of the time that trough was filled with corn, sometimes shelled corn and sometimes corn still on the cob. Those pigs ate it, cob, husk and all.
But occasionally there would be a bucket of leftovers that was saved during the week. That stuff made my stomach turn. When it was near full I'd normally be the one elected (I suppose because I was the oldest) to take it out to the hogs. I'd pour that bucket full of what was once good, delectable food, into their troughs and the odor would make my stomach roll again. Then those hogs would gather around and nearly fight over that stuff. I'll never understand it, but I certainly liked the pork chops it produced.
The manger in the little stable where Mary and Joseph laid the newborn infant, Jesus was also a feeding trough. But it could not be compared to that of the hogs. It was for goats and cattle and was normally filled with hay. Hay can be prickly but it can also be comfortable. I remember a few times when we would fall into a pile of hay. What fun we had and the softness of it always provided a good place to land. Our Lord didn't have a feather-downed mattress on which to lie and He didn't have a comfortable pillow but knowing His life later I am certain that even as an infant He didn't mind.
It wasn't at all the way most people then, and now, would have imagined the birth of a king would be, especially the birth of the King of kings. He was born away from their home in Nazareth and frankly didn't return until he was a small lad. According to the Bible they spent nearly two years in Bethlehem and later, when Herod found out about His birth and sent soldiers to the tiny town to kill all the male children from two years old and under, Joseph was warned in a dream and they fled to Egypt until the death of Herod. Only then did they return to Nazareth. The point is that He spent all those years in poverty, moving from one place to another with His parents. Again, I'm certain that He didn't mind.
Going back to the manger, it is significant that it was a feeding trough for the livestock. During His ministry, many years later, He said on more than one occasion that He was the bread of life. He encouraged people to "eat His flesh." Of course this wasn't meant literally. But He was saying that devouring His word, believing the gospel, was like feeding on Him. Even as the new born baby lay in the manger He was depicted as the "Bread of Life."
He is still that bread of life. Yet today there is a hunger deep within the soul of man for something more. Nothing seems to satisfy it. No pleasure can last long enough; no experience can fulfill for very long. There is always the need for something more. Men and women have searched their lives to find something that will fill up the empty pit and they can never quite lay their finger on what they need.
That is until they come to Jesus Christ. Once they have "eaten" of the Bread of Life then their hunger is satisfied. Their thirst is quenched. He restores the broken line to God and that is what we are all really looking for. Many may deny it. Some may laugh and scoff, but deep down, whether they even realize it or not, Jesus Christ is who they long for. He alone can reunite man to God. Him and Him only.
He lay in the manger to feed the world. His body was broken on Calvary to satisfy the spiritual hunger of us all. This Christmas let me invite you to the table He has spread. It is a feast like no other because He is the main course. Believe His word. Accept Him into your life today, and that void will be filled. I promise.
Jerry D. Ousley is the Author of four books, "Soul Challenge", "Soul Journey" "Ordeal" and "The Spirit Bread Daily Devotional." Listen to our daily broadcast Spirit Bread. Find out more by visiting www.spiritbread.com
or email us at jousley@spiritbread.com
Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com-CHRISTIAN WRITERS