Invisible Promise

river

About a year and a half ago I became part owner of the Marne River. Now I don’t want to brag too much because I only own about a mile of its 319 mile length (514 kilometres). And I’d really appreciate it if you wouldn’t spread this all over because, in fact, the only one who knows that it’s my river is me.

I’m very generous with my river as I let everyone else use it and there’s actually no ownership papers at the courthouse, but for all intents and purposes it’s mine.

I’ve been walking along its banks since we moved to Saint Maur des Fossés here in France.

A brisk 12 minute walk brings me to its banks. I admire it’s gentle beauty in the Summer as swans and ducks glide over its surface. I admire its power in the winter as it swallows the sidewalks next to its banks and makes threatening gestures at the upper sidewalk. I occasionally whip out my Ipod to record the beauty of my river as the seasons change.

Say, what do you own that no one else knows about?

Abraham used to walk up and down a country that God had promised him, rejoicing that it was his because God had promised. The only thing he actually had the deed to in that land during his whole life was a graveyard he purchased for his family.

But, God had promised and the land was his.

A man who owns nothing invisible in his heart is powerfully poor. When someone quits ‘visioning’ and dreaming he’s terminally ill with a spiritual disease which will eventually close the lids of his unseeing eyes.

This week we’re celebrating an invisible dream that many of us share. We celebrate the fact that the Eternal Creator sent His Son to the earth to save men from their sins. Spiritually blind people couldn’t see Him when he came as a baby, miraculously conceived by the Holy Spirit.

“And the angel told Joseph, while he was trying to figure a way out, he had a dream. God’s angel spoke in the dream: “Joseph, son of David, don’t hesitate to get married. Mary’s pregnancy is Spirit-conceived. God’s Holy Spirit has made her pregnant. She will bring a son to birth, and when she does, you, Joseph, will name him Jesus—‘God saves’—because he will save his people from their sins.”

“This would bring the prophet’s embryonic sermon to full term:

‘Watch for this—a virgin will get pregnant and bear a son; They will name him Immanuel (Hebrew for “God is with us”).”

We’ve got this hope in our hearts. People think we’re crazy. “That’s not really your river!” But, God promised me forgiveness, personal relationship with Himself and eternal life through that Son. So, if you don’t mind, I’ll just rejoice in my river.

I’ll even share it with you.

Wishing all of you the most BLESSED Christmas you’ve ever had.

__________________________________________

Hum…

“Maybe Christmas,” the Grinch thought, “doesn’t come from a store.”

Dr. Seuss

“He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree.”

Roy L. Smith

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_christmas.html#iYJ8P3AGZUgjfvkV.99

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