Today is Thursday, December 8th, 2011; Karen's Korner #2209

Taken from a daily devotional by Lutheran Hour Ministries (forwarded to me by an email friend):
 
WHAT DETERMINATION!

Isaiah 64:5-9: "There is no one who calls upon Your Name, who rouses himself to take hold of You ...." (Isaiah 64:7a)


Did you do Black Friday a week or so ago? Did you rouse yourself early and stand in line to take advantage of the sales? Some showed their drive and dedication by camping out early. A few even sacrificed Thanksgiving Day with the family to take hold of the greatest bargains.

Could that kind of sacrifice, drive and dedication transform this Christmas for you? Some people invest a tremendous amount of time and energy to accomplish that perfectly polished Christmas, or to have a home that's the envy of all their friends, or to live a life of power and prestige.

But can that kind of drive really transform this Christmas or this life? What can wealth, power and prestige do when our lives are shattered by divorce, economic collapse, tornadoes and fires, or sickness and death? To transform our Christmas and our life itself, for that matter, we need someone who cares about us enough to sacrifice His life for us. We need someone who has the power to overcome all of our problems- including death itself. We need someone who has the drive to see it through to the very end, even when He knows it's going to cost Him His life.

That's what Christmas is all about. The Son of God left His place in heaven to become human and live with us here on earth. He lived a perfect life for us and took our place on the cross, suffering God's wrath for all of our failings. He rose to life again on the third day. When He returns He will raise us from death to live with Him forever.



Mighty Son of God, thank You for saving me by Your life, death and resurrection. Transform me that I may take hold of You and celebrate Your birth with great joy this Christmas. Amen.
 
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