Author: E.Y. Redal

“Is Christmas over?”

A little girl asked her Mother yesterday. “Yes, and I sure am glad to get back to normal. Aren’t you?” “Well, she answererd, The baby is only is only a little older than a week, and I remember when my little brother was born, you and everyone else were making a whole lot of fuss about him for a long time. This baby is really Jesus and we’ve already stuck him away somewhere!!”

That little girl has really said something. Churches were full, welcoming the Baby Jesus on Christmas Eve, but many churches were locked tight on Christmas day. Where was the Baby Jesus? A day or so later, decorations in homes and stores were put away for another year, We begam to worry about the weight we had gained over the past weeks! Only our pocket books are empty. Christmas music has almost disappeared on TV and radio, and the parties have ended. What, I wonder did the parties celebrate anyhow? And, of course the kids were back at school! That was a big plus, wasn’t it? But where was the baby?

Oh, I know. We enjoyed every bit of it and the time went too fast. But the baby was in the thoughts of men hundreds of years before He was born in that manger. Isaiah, in the Old Testament, said this, “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor. Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of peace.. The book of Micah said He would be born in Bethlehem. He isn’t a child that would be forgotten, is He? Still, litt[e was written about Him until He was a man walking the dusty roads of Isreal teaching and doing many miracles of healing. He found his 12 disciples and thousands of other followers, many who followed him because he did the miracles.

No, many of us would not forget him. He is our Lord and savior and should be in our homes every day, but remember, there are many folks who go to Church on Christmas Eve, decorate, sing carols and go to parties but they don’t really know where Jesus is. Isn’t it our job to tell them?

God chose Jacob?

God chose Abraham and Isaac, but Jacob seemed a little odd choice to carry the birthright. After all, he and his mother dressed him up in fresh goatskin so he would feel like his older brother, Esau, who was hairy. Then, he marched in where his father Isaac was ill and could not see very well. He flatly lied to his father and walked off with the birthright. When Esau found out about it, he was very angry and Jacob thought Esau would kill him.

When we first see him as your neighbor, he is running for his life. He ran until it was dark. He grabbed a rock for a pillow and lay down to sleep. He dreamed he saw a stairway leading up to Heaven. He climbed up about halfway and met God there. They wrestled for quite awhile. Then God said: “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham, and the God of Isaac. I will give you the land on which you are lying. All people on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go.” – [NIV]

God had made his choice. He made several choices like that. He looked at the heart instead of what he has done. Maybe he has a plan for you that you have ignored? Read psalm 91, and you’ll find out how much he loves and cares for you. We all have done things that were not what God wants, but He will always forgive us when we ask Him.

Jacob felt God was with him as he continued his journey. Finally he was at at Uncle Laban’s where he met his match at cheating. Uncle Laban had two daughters, Leah and Rachel. Jacob wanted to marry Rachel and offered to work five years if he could marry her. Uncle Laban said yes and had a big feast to celebrate the decision. When the feast was in high gear, Laban took Leah to Rachel’s bed. Jacob went in and slept with her. When he learned about what had happened he asked Uncle Laban if he could work another five years and marry Rachel, but he still married Leah. Uncle Laban agreed and added that every animal he had which carried a speckled color would belong to Jacob. So, he went out to count. He took the flock, both Leah and Rachel, and settled down near by. He figured out how to make most of Uncle Laban’s animals and eventually had much more than he began with.

Jacob’s children were many. Leah had three children when Rachel became very jealous and asked if some of the servant girls couldn’t serve as concubines as much as Leah. He agreed and they had 10 sons and several daughters before Rachel had Joseph and Benjamin. So, Jacob had 12 sons and next time we will know about Joseph. God had a tough time finding and making those three men, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, but God can do anything. can’t He?