Be Still



Prayer: Gentle Mary laid her child,
             Lowly in a manger;
       There He lay, the Undefiled,
       To the world a stranger.
       Such a babe in such a place,
       Can He be the Savior?
       Ask the saved of all the race,
       Who have found His favor.

Read: Psalm 46
http://www.esvbible.org/Psalm 46

Think about It: Christmas has a warm and fuzzy place in our hearts. It’s a birthday party after all. And, it’s the birth of our Savior. It’s the quiet and peaceful side of a story that ends with a grizzly death and victorious resurrection. What we have done to Christmas is not all good. For many, Christmas has become anything but peaceful. It quickly fills up with a great deal of busyness and can be somewhat painful for people who are alone for the holiday.
     Psalm 46 comes along and reminds us that God has come into each life with His protection and strength. We need not scurry around or try to make our own way. Instead we can run to Him and seek  shelter with Him. There we will find peace and serenity. Jesus came to earth with the fanfare of the angels, but that performance was for the shepherds. It was probably pretty quiet in the place of Jesus’ birth. Many of us have experienced the quiet that follows the birth of a   baby. After the medical people have finished their jobs, the mom and dad are left to just hold the baby. It is a time of quiet joy where you just want to look at the newborn and relish the moment of getting to know them. It is a time to be still.
    God invites us to be still before Him, relishing the time to just sit before Him and get to know Him. He is worthy of the time and that stillness will fill your soul, granting you His strength to go back into your life and accomplish what He sets before you. Stillness is highly underrated and exceedingly important. As you celebrate the Savior’s birth, take some time to be still before a holy God and get to know the Savior.

Prayer: Angels sang about His birth,
             Wise Men sought and found Him;
       Heaven’s star shone brightly forth ,
       Glory all around Him.
       Shepherds saw the wondrous sight,
       Heard the angels singing;
       All the plains were lit that night,
       All the hills were ringing.

       Gentle Mary laid her child,
       Lowly in a manger;
       He is still the Undefiled,
       But no more a stranger.
       Son of God of humble birth,
       Beautiful the story;
       Praise His name in all the earth;
       Hail the King of glory!
Gentle Mary Laid Her Child . . . LSB 374 – Public Domain

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