Christmas To Do-ers List, Day 4: Shine for Him

December 9, 2015 by Jane VanOsdol Leave a Comment

Christmas To Do-ers List

Day 4: Shine for Him

“We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.” Matthew 2:2

I awoke to the inky blackness of an unfamiliar room. I was traveling, sleeping in a room that had darkening shades. A smothering blackness engulfed me as I groped for the little flashlight I put next to my bed. Switching on the button, I breathed a little easier as the features of the room came into focus. Amazing how one tiny light can penetrate the darkness.

Star Light, Star Bright

In the Christmas story, a bright star illuminating the night sky spark a years-long search for some astrologers. Three wisemen from a distant land notice a new, bright star in the sky and they search for answers to this phenomenon. They learn that this star signifies the birth a a new king, and they set aside everything else in their lives to follow the star. Every evening the light of the star guides them, it’s bright presence a constant source of direction and comfort and promise on their long journey through unfamiliar territory and uncertainty.

At long last they arrive to see the full power of the star shining directly on the little family. Overwhelmed, they place their gifts at the feet of the new King and worship Him.

As Jesus grew, it was apparent something was different about Him. People were drawn to Him. The scriptures tell us that it wasn’t because he had rock-star looks. Isaiah 53:3 makes this clear: “He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him, nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him.”

I like to think that it was the light of God shining through Him that drew others. He had a polarizing effect, much the same today: you either loved Him or you hated Him. Those that let themselves get close enough to Him recognized His absolute love of and care for others.

We are Now the Torch Bearers

With the death and Resurrection of Jesus, God now wants us to be His light in a dark world. Are we comfortable shining for Him, or do we hide our light under a bushel basket? Let’s consider some ways we can shine for Christ:

Action Points:

We can ask the Holy Spirit to fill us up each day and then listen to how he directs our words and actions. Being obedient to His direction will help us to better love and minister to others. (John 14:26).
We can learn about spiritual gifts. Read 1 Corinthians 12, Romans 12:6-8, and Ephesians 4:11,12 for a list of some of the gifts. God wants us to use these to benefit others and by developing our gifts, we will certainly be letting our light shine.
Don’t underestimate the power of a daily time spent in the word combined with prayer. As we become transformed into His image, as we go about the normal activities of our days, His spirit will shine through us.

Never think that your gifts or life is too small or ordinary to make a difference. Just as the tiny flashlight beside my bed brought the whole room into clear focus,

the light of your life may be exactly what brings Jesus into focus for a family member, friend, or stranger.

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Please share your thoughts in the comment section and/or on our To Do-ers Facebook page. Enjoy today’s music The Star Still Shines as you reflect on the lesson.

Safe in the Tunnel

July 18, 2014 by Jane VanOsdol 1 Comment

Mark and I were cycling recently on a muggy, Sunday afternoon. I couldn’t wait to enter the shade of a tunnel just ahead of us. We rode into the cool, dim passageway, and I could barely see a little boy of about 6 racing toward us on his bike from the other end, his dad just a little behind him. [Read more…]

Holy Week Devotions-Wednesday: From Darkness to Light

March 27, 2013 by Jane VanOsdol Leave a Comment

“I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.” Acts 26:17-18 (NIV)

For out third devotion this week, we are looking at stanza three of the poem:

FAST from apparent darkness; FEAST on the reality of God’s light.

(Click for the entire poem and for Monday and Tuesday’s devotion.)

In this stanza, we have the contrast between darkness and light, which stands for evil and good or Satan and God. As I was meditating on darkness and light [Read more…]

In Waiting

April 23, 2011 by Jane VanOsdol Leave a Comment

Read Luke 23: 50-56

The day of Preparation was the day before the Sabbath. Jesus had just been crucified and had died the night before. Pilate had granted Joseph of Arimathea permission to take Jesus’ body, and Joseph had wrapped Jesus in linen and laid Him in a tomb. The desolation of Jesus’ friends and followers was complete. But the love and loyalty of the women in verse 55 is obvious.

They went to the tomb and the scripture says they “observed the tomb and how His body was laid. Then they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils. And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.”

On this Holy Saturday, the day before Easter, we think of the women and what they were doing the day after Jesus died. It had to have been the darkest of days, yet they went to the tomb and decided to do what they could. They were going to prepare spices and oils to properly anoint Jesus’ body. One commentary I read stated that Jesus had had a hasty anointing and burial, so the women wanted to properly anoint their beloved Savior.

I like it that they didn’t let the little problem of a huge stone in the way of the tomb stop them. They went forward with their plans, and they spent that sad day lovingly preparing the spices and oils for what they thought was their last act of service for Jesus.

Oh, but it was just the beginning.

Isn’t it amazing that God had these women preparing the spices and ointments to anoint Jesus for burial while God was preparing the biggest celebration of life ever? If only we could see the juxtaposition of the behind-the-scenes-action of heaven and of earth at the same time!

You see, these women, and the world, were in waiting. They just didn’t realize what they were waiting for. The women were waiting to anoint a dead loved one, but God was waiting to invite them to a party.

It’s not quite time for the celebration yet, though. We need to sit with these women in their darkness for a bit. We have much to learn from them.

In their darkest time, they did what they could and they waited. They made a plan to go to the tomb, and they trusted that God would provide a way for them to anoint Jesus.

When we are in our darkest moments—when someone is sick, when we are going through a divorce, when a loved one has died, we need to do what God gives us to do and then we need to trust and wait. Sometimes all we can do is pray. But, because of the cross, there is hope in our tragedy. Though we may be suffering, God promises to use all things for our good–happy things sad things, devastating things like divorce, sickness and death. Like the women at the tomb, One day we will hear Him say, “Why are you weeping?” He shall wipe away every tear from your eyes and there shall be no more death, no more sorrow, no more pain for the former things have passed away. It is finished. (Revelation 21:4) Hold on dear one…Sunday is coming!

“Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the lamb.”

Pray on!