Friday, December 5, 2014
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The occasion was a citywide art contest. They had been told to paint paintings with the theme "Peace". Well, the judges were understandably attracted to this beautiful pastoral scene that a local artist had painted. It was a green pasture, puffy white clouds, a beautiful blue sky, a little boy going by with his fishing pole over his shoulder, and a quiet brook and some birds. That got second place.
First place? The picture was an angry, stormy day at the seashore as the ocean was beating against the cliffs. The cliffs were stark and dark because of the darkness of the storm. The sky was angry, and black and green and purple; all those ugly skies. You know? You had to look twice to figure out what in the world this had to do with peace. But as you looked halfway up the cliffs, these little baby birds were nestled underneath the wings of their mother. And they were sleeping, totally oblivious to the storm that was howling all around them.
Now, it's the Christmas season, and it's supposed to be about peace. But if you feel the pressures and the stresses like I do, it seems stressful, more like a storm. Which leads us to those birds.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "A Christmas Survival Kit."
Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Isaiah 30:15. "In quietness and trust is your strength." What a great verse for the chaos that the Christmas season has become. You're in the middle of it right now; shopping, entertaining, getting all the cards out, whatever you do. "Oh, did we forget to...?" "Oh, they sent us a card. We'd better send them one." Whatever. All of the church events that are going on; all of the school activities; maintaining all the family traditions that the kids insist on, or you do. The guests are coming; family time. They're flying in, they're driving in. Suddenly the Christmas season seems more like stress on earth than peace on earth.
Then God speaks, "In quietness and trust is your strength." If you're going to protect the heart of Christmas and not succumb to the hassle of Christmas, you must protect quiet thoughts at the beginning of each day, where quietness and trust will be your strength for that day.
Think about those birds in that painting. Peace wasn't the absence of the storm; it was peace right in the middle of the storm. They had found their quiet spot. Well, the secret is going to be the same for you. Not just at Christmas, but during all the stressful seasons of your life. The more hectic the season is, the harder it is to get your quiet time with the Lord and yet the more you need it.
It would be tragic if Jesus gets lost in the process of us getting ready to celebrate His birth. If anything, make your time with Jesus a top priority now more than ever. First of all, because Christmas becomes an idol if it crowds out Christ. Secondly, you need to be with Him to keep everything in proportion. Unload your concerns on Him. Focus on your relationship with Jesus. I mean, after all, what is it? It's a love relationship. Eliminate the overload. Ask the Lord if there are some things you can eliminate, and simplify as you ask for His wisdom.
What's your Christmas survival kit? Quietness and trust. That's your strength. It comes from a non-negotiable time spent with the Prince of Peace. Who, by the way, as we go through this season you may begin to realize, was for you a historical figure, a religious figure, a belief you have, but not with someone with whom you have this kind of love relationship. And that's what He came to give you. That's how there's peace in the chaos of earth. It's peace in your heart. It's peace with God that begins the day that you understand that He came here to die for the sinning you and I have done, and you put your life in His hands and get it out of yours.
If you've never done that, I would invite you to make this Christmas season, the season He came, the time He comes into your life by your invitation. Go to our website, and there you'll find exactly how to begin this relationship – ANewStory.com. He said, "My peace I give to you." Not peace that's the absence of the storm. You will have from now on, peace in the middle of your storm.