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HEY GUYS.....LILY HERE ON A RAINY DAY IN FLORIDA!
The First Day of Christmas!
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Psalm 91:3-4

For He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
and from the deadly pestilence;
He will cover you with His pinions,
and under His wings you will find refuge;
His faithfulness is a shield and buckler.

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Every once in a while the Old Testament looks a bit far afield give us imagery for God's love and care. Today's verse is one such example. God is being likened to a bird guarding its young. The image of gigantic wings overspreading us and shielding us from harm is a strangely inviting one. And, to be sure, there are times when God does prevent suffering from befalling us. But it is even more beautiful to realize that, in the Incarnation, the wings of God are not gigantic, but are rather small and fragile like a partridge's - or like us. Then the wings shield us, not by hiding us, but by showing us how to fly and escape the fowler's snare as Jesus escaped the deadly pestilence of the grave. His faithfulness shows us, not how to hide from suffering, but how to suffer like Him and gain the resurrection. That is, after all, why He came at Christmas. Today, celebrate the life that has conquered death in the newborn Christ Child.
AND THEY SHALL NAME HIM EMMANUEL - WHICH MEANS GOD IS WITH US......NO MATTER WARS, TERRORISTS, THIS AND THAT, UP UP`S AND DOWN`S....GOOD AND BAD OF LIFE.................WRAP IT ALL UP IN ONE BIG BUNDLE AND STILL........GOD IS WITH US, AND THAT`S THE WAY IT IS!.

HAVE A GREAT HOLY DAY FEAST!

lily

Thank you for the nice post Lily and I hope you are having a very nice and happy Christmas season.
The other thing that comes to mind is that God never punishes his creations. The idea is that God may say "You have rejected me and that is why I gave you free will. So, do it yourself without my help and see how you succede. When you fail and come back to me I will restore you and fix the mess you created Gods miracles are not preeceded by thunder and lighting but by a very tiny whisper that also includes a bit of comfort.
A child will continue do something that may be harmful and no matter how many times we stop them or tell them the action could be harmful they continue with the same action. The lesson is finelly brought to fruition when the child does what he or she wants to do and suffers a hurt. It may pain us to see a child scared or hurting but we are there to ease the pain and provide comfort. The lesson is learned.
May God bless you and your family in the New Year. <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Dear Lily,

That was a lovely post and so very timely. The Bible is with so many lessons and expressions.

At my sons christmas supper, I gave a reading from Luke 2:8-14. I usually give a reading of some sort. On this occasion, boy, I was just stuck and was just unable to think clearly enough to dream some thing up. But, while looking on the internet for ideas, the Luke chapter caught my attention and solved the delima:

And there were in the same country shepards abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the Glory of the Lord shone around about them: And they were sore afraid.

And the angles said unto them, fear not: For behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

And this shall be a sign unto you; ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the Heavenly host praising god, and saying,

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Luke 2:8-14

Karl

Hi Robert,

I wanted to only share with you a poem I have kept for so long. It struck in me, a message of life and a reminder of my mortality. But, with the message it imparts, it is also of hope:

I shall grow old, but never lose life's zest, because the roads last turn with be the best.

Karl