Verse of the Day 12/1

 

Verse of  the Day 12/1

 

John 1:14   And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son[a] from the Father, full of grace and truth.   English Standard Version (ESV)

 

It is December 1 and we are officially into  the Advent Season.  Many will be opening doors on their  Advent Calendars to see what is behind the first door.  Today's verse is a good one  to begin "the s:eason" with.  All of the Christmas story revolves around it and is related to it.  The Old Testament prophecies will see their fulfillment, the shepherds will be struck with wonder, the wise men will make their trek  to find the Christ child, the long awaited Messiah is coming, and for us, has come, and once He  "moved into  the neighborhood"  (The Message) things  would never be the same.

 

One  of my favorite hymns of  Christmas is "O Little Town of Bethlehem", it is a picture of a quiet little town.  Not much happening, not  much change going on.  But below the surface there has been a longing, the hope of a Savior.  My favorite line from that hymn is "the hopes and  fears of all  the  years are met  in thee tonight".

 

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

 

We face troubled times and there are plenty of "dark streets" in our world, but there is a hope, a rock solid  hope for those  in  desperate need, it can only  be found  in Jesus Christ, the everlasting Light. 

 

As you go through the coming season, pay attention  to the words of the hymns, be looking for the meaning  behind the words.  May they bring light to your heart and may you find  or remember  that the "hopes and fears of all the years" are wrapped up in the Christ child who came to a lowly manger so many years ago.

 

Blessings,

Mike

 

John 1:14-18The Message (MSG)

¹⁴ The Word became flesh and blood,
    and moved into the neighborhood.
We saw the glory with our own eyes,
    the one-of-a-kind glory,
    like Father, like Son,
Generous inside and out,
    true from start to finish.

¹⁵ John pointed him out and called, "This is the One! The One I told you was coming after me but in fact was ahead of me. He has always been ahead of me, has always had the first word."

^16-18 We all live off his generous bounty,
        gift after gift after gift.
    We got the basics from Moses,
        and then this exuberant giving and receiving,
    This endless knowing and understanding—
        all this came through Jesus, the Messiah.
    No one has ever seen God,
        not so much as a glimpse.
    This one-of-a-kind God-Expression,
        who exists at the very heart of the Father,
        has made him plain as day.

 

 

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