Luke 1:26-55

Luke records the angel Gabriel’s announcement to Mary, Elizabeth’s prophesy, and Mary’s song in rich detail. We are introduced to very important details about Jesus’ nature in this passage. Gabriel explains to Mary that He will not be an ordinary human. He will be born of the Holy Spirit—and He, indeed, will BE holy. He will be called the Son of the Most High. God will give Him the throne of David and He will reign over Jacob and His descendants not just for a lifetime…but forever.

The supernatural nature of this pregnancy is affirmed when Mary hastens to see Elizabeth, who is miraculously pregnant herself. Before Mary says a word about the pregnancy, Elizabeth prophesies that Mary is the “the mother of [her] Lord” and says, “Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill His promises to her!” Mary responds in glorious worship.

You can read the written text of this passage in the New International Version here if you would like to follow along or meditate on the Scripture further after you listen.

Never Abandoned— Joy in His Presence [Advent Week Three]

I spent precious time with such beautiful souls today— truly, women who radiate, who bless, who love God down out their feet, up through their eyes.

But, the time came for them to leave— all people leave. We leave each other for short amounts of time and long amounts of time. Everyone leaves their bodies. Some slowly, some quickly, with and without goodbyes. We will reunite with some.

Anyway, they left— I went grocery shopping and picked up antibiotics.

Here I sit with a small Wendy’s chili, pills, and my laptop.

Here I sit, thankful for so much, in despair about a few, and tired.

Red and starry sprinkles sit on the table, cocoa is crusted to the sides of the crock pot in the sink, the miscellaneous items I tossed in the closet before guest came over are (try not to judge) still there.

I thought about putting all the green-red party goodness away, prepping food for tomorrow, putting the chairs back in their places, but I knew if I didn’t sit and listen now, it wouldn’t happen.

Listening requires energy. More specifically— a pushing away of my human instincts (good and bad) in exchange for the Spirit’s prompting. The Spirit’s timing. The Spirit’s lavishing.

Yes, He is inviting me here. Inviting me to sit and listen. I’m writing to you, but I’m writing for Him. I’m writing for Him and He’s gifting me with the task and privilege because He wants to love me and fill me as I sit and pour out for Him. He knows it’s not always easy, but He still invites me because He knows He’s worth it.

I know it— it runs from my fingertips to my heart. He reaches toward all of us, but He’ll never touch us unless we say yes. He reaches toward me, invites me. The “yes” takes energy— indeed, the listening is sacrifice…the sacrifice that makes room for His gift, the gift of HOLY-blood bought reconciliation and union that keeps on giving and filling.

This week of advent is the week of Joy and the Shepherds Candle.

When the angels appeared to the shepherds, the shepherds were going about their work…in the night. My guess is they were either sleeping or tired when the angels appeared to them, but that did not keep them from listening to God’s message given through the angels— the Savior, Messiah, and Peacemaker was born! And, what’s more, they were told where He was.

The message was essentially— the Messiah is here and you can go to Him.

The Messiah has come to us and we can be with Him! Glory to God!

Is that not the very core of our joy?!

During more difficult, teary moments today my heart and my soul felt pain. BUT, in moments when I was able to refocus on the truths of God and His Spirit alive in me (the Comforter and Counselor), I was filled with joy.

Joy doesn’t remove pain immediately or even on this side of Paradise, but it does lift our eyes to the astounding beauty of our wounded-once-and-for-all Healer.

Joy—I’m graciously handed the Gift moment by moment.

Joy because Jesus descended from His throne room to a world that hated Him for me.

Joy because Jesus stretched His arms out wide so I could always have access to His arms.

Together, forever.

Emmanuel— yes, in Him is fullness of Joy.

Emmanuel— not just a name, but a promise.

He says, “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.”

My friend, He is not far from you.

If you have received Him, He is in you.

Listening may take effort, freeing our hands and hearts of idols will require effort, but believe me, you loved-by-God , He has arrived and His arms are stretched wide for you— run to Him for your joy, darling. Run to Him for everything.

He will hold, He will transform, He will multiply, and He will make what’s dead sing.

“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth

peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

 

What time will you make each day this week to listen to God and allow Him to wrap you in His joy?

What is holding you back from God’s arms? Is it your schedule, your creature comforts, your fear or distaste of intimacy? Will you write it down and consider giving it to God? He’s worth it.

Christ’s Advent at Your Christmas Party [and on the last day of your achy body]

We prepare for who is coming.

Many of you, I think, experience this: You set a date for a gathering. You envision friends or family at the table, their smiles. You picture soft lights and imagine breathing in delicious smells— so you make sure your star lights have batteries, make a grocery list, and pick a cookie recipe. You prepare for what you set your mind on.

We prepare for who is coming. And, in the process of preparation there is something of the celebration itself— a foretaste. When I’m excited for an event, I have deep joy and delight in my preparation. I want to invite comfort and joy, I want the people at my table to be filled with love…and maybe experience a taste of Love Himself.

I visualize the goodness and try to prepare so it just might become a reality.

But, I seriously fall short of goodness when I only prepare materially and mentally.

Let’s be realistic…as I prepare, I also taste spiritual germs on my breath and others’ threatening to spread our soul-sicknesses, fractures in hearts, death cycles, my social anxiety creeping up my neck and squeezing.  We can experience a foretaste of anxiety rather than celebration. A foretaste of the broken can steal our preparation for goodness.

So, when I am wise (by the grace of God), I prepare my heart—I beg for my broken heart to be prepared and repaired. I pray for God to shift my focus from the wounds to the Warrior-Healer-Carpenter. For my roof to be patched, my windows to be sealed tight, and my door to be unlocked— for my home and my presence to be a haven from the cold.

I want these precious people I envision sitting at my table to experience a little bit of Emmanuel. And, as my great-grandmother Vivian would say, a little taste of heaven.

We prepare for who is coming because we love them.

Yet, we also are filled with God’s love in the process of preparation— as we ask God to help us prepare out of love for Him, He lavishes us with more love to give. As we confess our brokenness and invite Him to repair our hearts we have peace with Him.

YES, isn’t this one of the greatest treasures?  When we prepare for Christ’s coming at our Christmas party or His guaranteed Second Advent, we experience ever-increasing peace with Him because we experience more and more of Him.

Isn’t that what we really, deeply want as we hang lights and make menus and vacuum under the chair?

Peace with God.

We have peace with God through Jesus— the Holy Spirit is with us through Jesus. God has come, God is here.

BUT, never forget, God is coming.

He is coming to work in your broken heart, at your invitation. He is bringing joy as you sweep. He is washing feet and pouring grace at your Christmas party.

And that is not all!

He is coming on the clouds as King! He is coming to establish a new, unimaginably radiant Earth!

He is coming to be with us in a way we have yet to experience— a way only He can prepare us for.

He fills us and moves in us to prepare for more of HIM. For the true life He intended. And, guess what? In this process of preparation, there is a sweet, sweet foretaste of  His peace and His glory because He Himself is our peace and He is inexpressibly glorious.

How do you prepare room for God to work in you?

What time will you set aside this week to re-focus and re-center on Christ as your motivation?

I invite you to open up a gift I prepared for you! Click here for simple daily scripture readings I put together on preparation:  Advent Week 2 Scripture Readings 

If you would enjoy hearing this content read, click here to listen: https://m.soundcloud.com/doni-owens/christs-advent-at-your-christmas-party-and-the-last-day-of-your-achy-body

Love and peace,

Donielle Hart

Advent [Expectation, Prophesy, Hope]

During the first week of Advent, we are invited to remember prophesy of Jesus’ birth and the expectation and hope of a Messiah among the people of Israel.
But, that is not all– WE have hope through Jesus’ first coming because He paid for our sins and made a way for us to be reconciled with God. And, the story doesn’t end with His resurrection and ascension. He is not done!

I celebrate Jesus’ birth, but I am also filled with an aching longing paired with a life-giving hope.

One day I will be entirely free from my sins. I will be with my Lord, Savior, Lover, and perfect Friend. I wait for heaven, Jesus’ second coming, and the New Earth with expectant hope…and awe. 

 

“Our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.”
(Philippians 3:20)

 

“We know that when Christ appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.”
(1 John 3:2)

 

“We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.”
(Romans 8:22-25)

May you be filled with hope and joy in the gift already given and the gift to come.

Love,

Doni