Christmas Devotionals (7 of 25) by Jason Major

Read Matthew: 1-23
 

“Come with Me; let’s go to the fireplace.  Let Me put some more wood in the stove, and keep the fire burning.  I will keep you warm tonight. You can rest with Me.  Let Me grab the log and place it on the fire. You hear the crackling sound of fire.  You will be kept safe, warm.”

“Let’s sit on the sofa tonight. Tonight, you read the story of the Wise Men and King Herod.  I want you to focus on King Herod’s story. He was a bully; he wanted to be the only one worshipped as king.  He was a false king of the Jews.  He manipulated the Wise Men but I protected them from the king’s manipulations.”

“Through a dream, I spoke to the wise men. Then I spoke to Joseph in a dream when it was time for them to leave their place and find a new home.  It was when Herod died; that they were able to go back to Nazareth.”

“What I want to share with you tonight is not be afraid of the bullies in your life.  I will give you wisdom and others wisdom how to protect you from their attitudes.  I will be with you; you will be kept very safe from their wrath.”

“It was again through the value of dreams and revelations that important decisions were made.  I will speak to you about the dreams in your life.”

“This is the point of the fire.  I will keep you safe. Every log jam will be thrown into the fire, to be burned away.  I want to heal fear in your life.”

“It was still a frightful event for Joseph, Mary and a baby to make a long trip to Egypt. It required stealth, it required wisdom.  I will give you wisdom to deal with difficult situations and difficult people.”

“What you need to know is that I am your protector from evil.  I want to protect the dreams that you have been given from being killed.  What are the dreams and desires that you have that struggle under the threat of fear?  It is Me who wants to bring them into the fire.  Coal can be used to keep a fire burning but it causes black smoke. No, I want to use wood for the fire; and the richness of the smell of the wood.”

“What areas of your heart are fearful? Where do you feel intimidated by the lies of the enemy, the threats of the enemy? Are there people in your heart that don’t do you any good? I want to heal your heart where it has been wounded.”

“I know that in your heart is for forgiveness and reconciliation. Yes, not every relationship in your life is like King Herod. Still; that doesn’t mean that boundaries aren’t set up; and that where the person is King Herod-like in behaviour, you do not have to make yourself available to that behaviour.   You protect your dreams. King Herod wanted to be king of the castle and his mission was to destroy others’ dreams for his own.”

“In your life, those who hurt you; I will protect you, you need not be afraid of them.  It is the bad behaviour of them I am after, when that is killed then friendship can be properly restored.  But notice that even when Joseph and Mary were free of King Herod; they did not return to Bethlehem, but to Nazareth.  This is to show you that sometimes you cannot go back to the place where you were. Sometimes friendships can be saved; but sometimes the friendship needs to be reshaped and changed into something else.”

“In some cases like with Joseph and Mary; a fight, a difficult understanding and the breaking apart of two when they come back together, they come back as one.  See how Joseph was someone who had the strength to face the fears of his life and challenges that they were facing and be a protector and provider for Mary.”

“That means he was full of strength, and character and courage to make decisions; clear decisions; that were life and death.”

“Let Me put this little twig in the fire. Wait. Let Me give it to you. You put it into the fire; the twig represents your fears.  I know that not all your decisions are life and death but I will give you the courage to make important decisions; including like Joseph, where to live, and when to leave.  I am with you on this journey; I will take care of you.”

Journal Entry: Father, what are the dreams and desires that I have that struggle under the threat of fear?