Tag: journey

cover lover or lover of the Word?

Karla Lees

I love getting a new version of the Bible. There is something holy and fresh to me about holding a brand new Bible. Opening the cover for the first time, and taking a peek at the insides.

As a book lover and word crafter, I can appreciate a pretty cover, fantastic graphics or eye catching images.  Yet if I never open the book, I  will miss the point.

If you don’t move past the cover, you miss the meat of the words inside which you are meant to meet.  To read.  To chew on. To ponder. To be challenged, entertained by.

Without reading the words inside the covers, a book becomes just an ornament on a shelf.

Which isn’t the point of a book.

Nor the point of the Bible.

The Bible, or the Word as I prefer to refer to it as, is designed to help us along our journey.

It not only instructs us, but gives us insight into situations we might experience, and the God we hope to encounter we meet inside.

If you remain a cover lover, the Word will not come alive for you.  For the Holy Spirit speaks to us as we read it, whispers the words He has for us in the moment, and reminds us that the Word is an invitation for a fresh encounter with the Living Word, Jesus.

The Bible is meant to be read, digested, interacted with. We are to allow it to shape our mindsets, fix our values, guide our emotions and be a foundation we can turn to in the hard times.

The Word reminds us…

  • We are not alone.
  • God is with us.
  • God is for us.
  • God is in us.
  • God lives through us.
  • God knows us.
  • God guides us.
  • We are loved.

Crack open the cover of your Bible, and allow His words to seep into you.  Ponder the mysteries.  Savor the love.  Delight in the truth. Align your path to the one He has for you.

Move beyond the covers into the best part of the Word, for He is just waiting you there!

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O Little Town of Bethlehem

Karla Lees

O little town of Bethlehem
How still we see thee lie
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting Light
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight

For Christ is born of Mary
And gathered all above
While mortals sleep, the angels keep
Their watch of wondering love
O morning stars together
Proclaim the holy birth
And praises sing to God the King
And Peace to men on earth

Bethlehem wasn’t where Mary and Joseph though they would give birth when they first got married.  Most of us don’t travel 30 days or so to go sign in live as proof we exist. Nowadays most of us have access to a hospital or midwife in our immediate area.

But God knew.

God wanted there to be no question that Jesus came from David’s line, just as He has promised, so led Caesar to request a census of His people so history would record Joseph as one of David’s descendants.

So Bethlehem entered the stage as the setting for the miracle, get also not quite as one would expect.

We are used to online or phone reservations when we travel from home, so we know where we will end up to rest our heads at night.

Not so in biblical times.

Unless you had direct family in those days, it was first come, first serve.

Traveling with a very pregnant Mary would likely have slowed Joseph down, and resulted in no room anywhere in town.

Except a stable.

Not even a stable/barn by today’s standards, but likely a hole in the side of a hill, or a low built clay enclosure to keep a roof over the owner’s animals.

Not an ideal birthing setting.  Hygiene alone, it must have been very off putting to think of delivering the Messiah into the world as its King in a stable.

There is also no record of a midwife, so both Mary and Joseph might likely have been very panicked, nervous and crying out to God as she began to give birth.

I can relate.  And so could God.

Which is why Christ’s entry was designed so that the every day person would know God had been hearing each and every cry for help.

The Presence came as the very present we needed at Christmas:

Perfectly wrapped for the average Joe.

Perfectly planned as the Promise to come heralded through the Word and by the angels.

The Perfection of God now present in the work of His hands.

Emmanuel.

God with us.

Born in Bethlehem, announced by angels, snug in his earthly parents arms in a stable.

The Hope for all arrived with less fanfare than we would expect, yet surpassin every expectation we could have for this fulfillment of prophecy and promise.

While Bethlehem slumbered, its Messiah slipped into a stable and began to transform the world!

What a reason to offer Him fresh praise again this season.

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Historical Background:

In 1868, Pastor Phillips Brooks wrote the words to “O Little Town of Bethlehem” after seeing Israel first hand.  His church organist Lewis Redner put the words to music.

neon handiwork

Karla Lees

I have been enjoying and learning so much from digging into His Word, without speed reading. I have purposely slowed myself to take in each verse, and seek the Message for me to apply to my own life.

When I read or study a book, I pull out my trusty highlighter. I mark it up and make it obvious to myself what I need to remember from what I just read.

God not only uses His Word to show us the way He has for us, Holy Spirit highlights it for us as we read it to draw our attention to what He wants us to see or learn in that moment.

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God Himself highlights His Word to capture our attention to it!

Holy Spirit knows us so well, the right verse in the right time will become neon to us when we open the Word & ask Him to reveal what Word He has for us in that moment.

‘But, isn’t that weird’ you may be asking yourself. That God Himself would take the time to make a verse or passage jump out to us?

God is the Source of all wisdom, the Knower of all things, seen & unseen. All Truth, Holiness & Righteousness.

Asking Him to highlight what we need to hear or work on is wise living to me!

Why let worry or anxiety rise to the surface when you can sit at His feet at any time & hear Him speak to you?

Retraining how we respond to stress, how we see time & how we connect all intersect in Him.

He is our source of peace & rest.
He is beyond time & space.
He is the one who designed us all & shaped our very beings.

Why wouldn’t all things find themselves in Him?

Ask Him to bring to light a Word He has for you today. It may be a Word you have stored in your heart, or one you will newly discover when He highlights it for you.

PS. And what shade of highlighter is Holy Spirit? Yes…all the perfect colours ever!

when the road seems too long…the wise men

Karla Lees

As long as the road would have seemed to Joseph & Mary, there were those on a quest who took even longer to arrive in Bethlehem.

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem village, Judah territory— this was during Herod’s kingship—a band of scholars arrived in Jerusalem from the East. They asked around, “Where can we find and pay homage to the newborn King of the Jews? We observed a star in the eastern sky that signaled his birth. We’re on pilgrimage to worship him.”

Matthew 2:1-2

Then the star appeared again, the same star they had seen in the eastern skies. It led them on until it hovered over the place of the child. They could hardly contain themselves: They were in the right place! They had arrived at the right time! They entered the house and saw the child in the arms of Mary, his mother. Overcome, they kneeled and worshiped him. Then they opened their luggage and presented gifts: gold, frankincense, myrrh.

Matthew 2:9b-11

There are a lot of different interpretations of these verses.

Some say there were likely only three wise men, as could be assumed based on the number of gifts they gave. We know there were there gifts, hence the three wise men. However, I am guessing with the long hike they underwent, they had to have had extra supplies, camels and servants, so I would not have been only three camels carrying three men.

Some say they must have followed the star to Jerusalem, or even Nazareth, for two reasons:

1. Jesus was named at the temple in Jerusalem on His eighth day (Luke 2:21-38). Not sure the Carpenters would have returned to Bethlehem after heading there, so it is likely they stayed at a B&B/hotel or possibly with family at Jerusalem.

2. Herod was the appointed King over the whole of Israel. I believe the coming slaughter of the male babes2 and under may have had a larger scope….not just limited to Bethlehem, as it clearly includes ‘and surrounding districts’ in the passage (Matthew 2:16-18) So Jerusalem might have also fallen under the target range, as all infants were named at the temple.

So, I think Jerusalem was more likely if they arrived with a younger Jesus as a newborn to two month old. Mary would have had to wait a certain amount of time after giving birth before traveling (her purification period), so after three months away from home, they either were met by the Wise Men in Jerusalem, or were back in their home in Nazareth.

(Either way, in order for the Word to have written in a warning, they were within the danger zone. More on that tomorrow…)

Now, the star heralding Jesus’ arrival & birth has been traditionally called the star of Bethlehem, but was in fact not called that in the Word. Rather the ‘star in the eastern sky.’

I think God aligned the planets to ignite the passion in these wise men’s hearts to find Him, in the form of Jesus, through this star.

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The argument over the when and where of this part of the story some times misses the point.

When God is calling, our response is what matters. It may take longer for many of us to hear, or see or sense Him reaching out to us.

Like the wise men, the first important part is to never stop seeking Him.

The second important part?
Follow Him.

There is one more third element to the wise men: they brought gifts indicative of who they had come to worship.

They didn’t bring baby clothes, or infant toys to Jesus, although in the earthly side of things they would be most appropriate.

They brought Kingly gifts that recognized three major characteristics of the King they had come to worship.

Gold- to represent His Heavenly Kingship & acknowledge His royal claim to the throne of Israel.

Frankincense- to represent Jesus as our High Priest. This was an aroma offered up in worship at the temple, incense which was used at the time.

Myrrh- to represent both His Kingly Anointing, as it was used as anointing oil for kings in those days, and His impending Sacrifice, as myrrh was also used in the embalming process when one died.

These gifts were not only spot on in their recognition of who they were being given to, they were costly.

The gifts represent a great journey and effort of time, resources and money. Not just a nice present, they were major offerings being laid before Jesus.

We too need to be mindful of what we offer Jesus. We need to look past the physical baby to see the Holy God inside, and adjust our offerings accordingly.

The wise men knew only their best would do to offer the king.

The shepherds did the same, as all they had to offer was spreading the good news.

May we too never stop seeking Jesus, and offering Him our best in worship.

#TheWhenSeries
#LoveCameDown
#AdventuresinAdvent

Note: image from the Nativity Story

when the sky fills with wonder…the star

Karla Lees

We observed a star in the eastern sky that signaled his birth….

Matthew 2:2

A bright star appeared in the eastern skies to herald the newborn King.

God didn’t leave anything out in trying to reach humanity.

The scholarly Magi, exceptionally intelligent and scientifically gifted, were entralled with the wonder of this star. Why did it appear? What is the meaning behind it?

So they studied, and read old manuscripts and texts, and decided they needed to travel to where the star seemed to be hovering.

Bethlehem.

Only God could make a star suddenly erupt into the night sky, and have it keep its place.

There is only one main event that God wanted highlighted on the earth- the arrival of Jesus, God with us.

But it appears only three wise men noticed, for we don’t read that they were representatives of a bigger group. Just three wise men wonderstruck at the thought of meeting a king whose coming was announced in the heavens.

Nor knowing what this would look like, only following the prompting to come, they headed on their journey. Likely a longer journey, similar to Joseph and Mary’s. Uncertain about all the details save one: a king was being born.

The star shone the way.
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Image from: http://www.bethlehemstar.net

This star was not just a sign for the times, or these wise men, but for all generations who read the Christmas story.

It shines for all to gaze at the wonder of its Creator.

For we worship a God who not only caused a star to emerge at exactly the right time, but this same God sent His son to become flesh and emerge as a babe into our world.

The King who stepped off His throne to be wrapped in humble garments. The Mighty One who limited Himself into human form, a wee baby, and entrusted Himself to a young couple to raise Him.

The star to me signals how much God loves to highlight His son, whom He adores.

Wonder with me at how much He loves us to have set Advent into action.

God in all His majesty, might and power shone a star spotlight on Jesus’ birth.

Reminding us of His love, wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.

Calling us to come & see.

May we never lose the wonder at the whole of this amazing, wonder filled, awesome true story!

But the star was only one part of the wonder to appear that night….

#AdventuresinAdvent continues!

census honeymoon

Karla Lees

About that time Caesar Augustus ordered a census to be taken throughout the Empire. This was the first census when Quirinius was governor of Syria. Everyone had to travel to his own ancestral hometown to be accounted for. So Joseph went from the Galilean town of Nazareth up to Bethlehem in Judah, David’s town, for the census. As a descendant of David, he had to go there. He went with Mary, his fiancée, who was pregnant. 

Luke 2:1-5

Poor Joseph. No sooner has Mary come back from visiting Elizabeth, the angel told him she was carrying the Messiah & to marry her, which he did, and they have just settled into their new home, than the government calls for a mandatory road trip.

In those days, a census meant you had to travel to your documented ancestral home…in Joseph’s case, Bethlehem, as he was of David’s lineage.

Not going was not an option. 

When the Romans said go, you had to go.  The good news? The Romans had built up the main roads, which likely cut back a bit on the rough terrain. The bad news? Mary was getting close to the end of her pregnancy.

But, duty called.

Not drawing any more attention to themselves than necessary, as they likely knew via the Spirit they would need to keep the coming Messiah safe, they prepared for the long journey.  Joseph would have had to finish his current carpentry jobs, maybe buy a donkey, and Mary prepare the food & bedding they would need.

Now by today’s standards, the distance between Nazareth & Bethlehem, approx. 102-147 kilometers (minimum 63.43 miles) could be driven in a few hours depending on the traffic & speed limit.

A pregnant woman on foot (or more likely donkey, as too much walking could bring on early childbirth, and Joseph seems like a kind man) would need to stop often to relieve herself, so we are guessing they didn’t walk more than 5-10km a day, meaning this was likely a 20-30 day trip.

Not necessarily the honeymoon expected for these newlyweds.

Sleeping outdoors, picnic food, jostle jostle jostle, blisters, bad weather, rough terrain, bugs, potential bandits, traffic…. this was not a fun excursion.

I am sure they had a lot of time to talk about the miracle of John, the prophecies of the Messiah, and how on earth were they going to raise Him?

Its interesting to note that in this book, Luke refers to Mary still as Joseph’s fiancee.  Until the marriage bed is consummated, the marriage was in name only. I am sure Joseph would have felt too funny/uncomfortable about lying with Mary until after the Messiah
was born, which both birth accounts mention slightly differently.

So not only do we learn from these verses that Joseph was married to Mary, he was a caring (considering her physical wellbeing) and honorable man (following his duty) who likely was very concerned about the timing of this trip.

After all, traveling with a very pregnant woman could be filled with the unexpected. Especially one carrying such precious cargo!

To be honest, this narrative also shows me something I suspected earlier. 

The fact that Joseph brought Mary along demonstrates his great love for her. I think he would have missed her too much to leave her behind at home.

There would have been no shame in going on his own for the census.  I believe these two were spiritually knit together by their common experiences with the angel, and daily seeing the baby grow.  Not wanting to spend any time apart, they had already become a close team at this point.

God chose well.

Jesus was in good hands with both His earthly parents.

The #AdventuresinAdvent continue….

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walk with Me

Karla Lees

You can’t deepen any relationship without a few key ingredients:

1. Spending time together.

Whether a few minutes or several hours, we get to know someone over time. Say no to this required element, say no to deepening.

2. Walking through the ups & downs together.

It is very true that we can truly observe another’s quality when they are under duress. Either their inner diamond will begin to shine, or they fall apart under the pressure.

3. Listening to one another.

Hearing what someone says both verbally & physically, and doesn’t say, gives you insight to who they are.  Being listened to develops trust, which in turn leads to more depths of sharing.

4. Knowing when to forgive.

Everyone out there will upset you somehow, whether a real slight or offense, or a believed one.  Forgiving them as soon as something pops us is a key ingredient to a good relationship.

5. Love them.

The final necessity to a great relationship is love.
Loving the other person for who they are, helping them develop into who they can become, and being there for them in the storms and heart breaks along the way.

These five ingredients are necessities to a successful relationship.

And the best example we have- that of God.

He started walking with us in the Garden, before we turned away.

He always wants to spend time with us.

He is with us through thick & thin.

He hears all, knows all we are experiencing, feeling, regretting, hoping for. He asks us to tell it all to Him because He loves to hear from us in conversation.

He knows when to forgive, and can help us do so when we need to. After all, He has forgiven us all through Jesus.

What love. A love that knew we couldn’t come to Him with all the weight of burdens, sin and hurts we were carrying, so He died in our place to show us how to truly live.

Jesus demonstrated man could walk with God, and change the world as a result.

If you want to deepen in your relationships, spend time walking with the One who designed you, and knows you best. He can guide you in any relationship, helping you to listen, love, forgive each step of the way. He is worth our trust, which you will learn as you get to know Him better along the journey.

When we are near the ones we love, our hearts are full.

When we are near the One who loves us, we know:
We matter.
We belong.
We are loved.
We are enjoyed.
We are never alone.

Take a walk with Him today.

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(Jesus Calling, by Sarah Evans)