December 9, 2019
Christmas Greetings to you, our dear friends,
It is our hope that you are all in good health and putting the finishing touches on a fruitful year. For us the months have passed quickly. We have enjoyed a balanced year of work and rest and it has been refreshing on every level. Highlights of our year include a four-day vacation on the Oregon coast and, for Dan and Clark, a seven-week, 1200 mile sailing trip along the northern Canadian coast. It has been exciting to share their experience through phone calls and video clips and it is a delight to look at the many photos of their adventures, one more beautiful than the next. Dan was thrilled to be on the water again and to share his love of sailing with our youngest son, Clark.
Enjoying nature often causes us to marvel at the handiwork of God. How easily we are moved to worship our great Creator when surrounded by such beauty! How often, though, when we are faced with conflict, danger, and overwhelming difficulties in our lives, communities, churches, our nation and our world do we cast our eyes downward and our hearts sink quickly toward discouragement. Yet, what our natural eyes fail to see is God’s handiwork there too. It is true that when we are forced to face the fact of evil in our world and our own failures, we do not rejoice. “Love…rejoices not in iniquity, but rejoices in truth…”
But, God is Sovereign and rules over all things to bring about His perfect will and work.
We need to worship God in the midst of trouble and adversity. We need to worship God in the face of uncertainty. “Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at His holy hill; for the Lord our God is holy.” Psalm 99:9
It is in the act of worshipping God that we come to see who He truly is and that He is wise beyond the complexities of our lives. He is faithful to act according to truth and love when we call upon Him.
When the wise men came to Bethlehem in search of the Christ Child, the Bible tells us they rejoiced greatly at the sight of the star, which had originally heralded the birth of the King. In coming into the house, they fell down and worshipped Jesus and opened their treasure, presenting Him gifts. They poured out what was of value to them. They knew that this Child was the King that the prophets had spoken of and that the divine sign of the star had signaled His arrival. But did they know that this Child is the King of Kings Who God had sent to this world to die in order that the curse of sin might be reversed? Did they know that our greatest need was for a Savior that we could be freed from sin and forgiven?
Do we know the freedom and forgiveness in the salvation Jesus Christ has won for us? Let us receive Him with open hearts and worship Jesus continually: He will meet us there.
I imagine the hearts of the wise men were full of wonder and peace as they left Palestine to return to their home country. Christ brings peace and joy into our lives when we bow before Him and surrender to His Lordship of Love.
We wish you this joy and peace in this season of the celebration of Christ birth. May God bless you richly in every way!
Dan & Marie Thomson
Ceaseless Love Ministries