The Dayspring from on High

                                       Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby
                                      the dayspring from on high hath visited us, To give
                                      light to them that sit in darkness  and in the shadow
                                      of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
                                                                   Luke 1: 78-9

The other day, as I began reading the gospel of Luke again, I came across the words of Zacharias after his tongue was loosened again after the birth of his son, John the Baptist. He prophesied of
Jesus, calling Him the Dayspring from on high.What a beautiful name for Jesus, a combination of
two lovely words together which inspire our hearts to look ahead to the blessings and promises He '
gave us through His sacrificial death on Calvary's cross around 2,000 years ago. Think of it, two simple words joined together, day and spring. What lovely, choice combination words for the lover of men's souls.

Jesus represents "day" and all that entails. No one I know willingly prefers the darkness of night
over daytime. Just today it was gloomy and cold after several warm days and the house seemed so dark.  A couple of days like that, and I am feeling frumpy. I need light! Not only is Jesus the Light of the World, but the very fact that He is shows that goodness comes to us via light, not darkness. Have you ever been in pitch black darkness? Richard Wurmbrand was once left in solitary confinement underneath a dark prison in Romania for a number of years. Could you imagine how bright the light was after coming from the depths of the earth? The Bible says God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all, "No, not in any way," explains the Amplified Version in I John 1:5. Here are some other verses that refer to Jesus representing Day:

II Peter 2:19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts.

I Thessalonians 5:5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of the darkness.

John 9:14 I must work the works of Him while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.

Proverbs 4:18 But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.

Song of Solomon 4:6 Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense.

Then the second word is spring. I think of spring in two ways here. One is that Jesus is an everlasting fountain of water, a flowing stream which will never run dry. Verses that refer to the Lord being a life giving spring include:

Deuteronomy 8:7 For the LORD thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a land full of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills.

II Kings 2:21 And he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast the salt in there, and said, Thus saith the LORD, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or barren land.

Psalm 85:11 Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven.

Isaiah 43:19  Behold, I will do a new thing: now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.

Isaiah 45:8 Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness: let the earth pour open, and let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together; I the LORD have created it.

Isaiah 58:11 And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.

Isaiah 61:11 For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.

And  here are two verses  from Jesus about Him being the source of life giving water.

John 4 :10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

John 7:37-8 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst let him come to me and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

The other thought is that Jesus is like the springtime, when the miracle of the plants and trees come alive again, just as Jesus did when God raised Him from the dead on the third day after lying dead for our sins and trespasses in the cold hard ground of earth.

This is what Easter is about. It is not about bunnies and eggs. It is every day, really, a finished work celebration. Jesus rose from the dead, and I can celebrate that 366 days this year. How about you?

When Less is More...Christ is All!

Luke 1:51-53 "He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He has put down the mighty from their thrones, And exalted the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, And the rich He has sent away empty."

It's been harder for me this year to get into the Christmas spirit, as we hit some rough waves from the economic downturn. I always enjoyed trying to find that perfect gift for loved ones, and decorating in our small home, the extra activities and the cards exchanged. This year, there is really no extra money for many of these things, and I am sure some who read this will be able to relate.

Uncertainty. It seems to be all the more common as I grow older. The American dream is not being realized like when I grew up without worries for tomorrow. But then I think of the world my Savior was born into. Was not Jesus born in a time of uncertainty for Mary, his mother and Joseph, who quickly had to get him out of the country because of the mad King Herod trying to murder all the baby boys? (Matthew 1:13-14)

The Jews were oppressed by their occupiers from Rome. Mary had to travel late in her pregnancy to register in the City of David. I don't think she had many amenities then and not even a room when they got there. No, not even a room to give birth to her firstborn Son.(Luke 2:7)

Parties, goodies to gorge on, searching for the perfect gift, beating ourselves into a frenzy to try and create a magical day. Is that what Christmas is all about? As a girl, I always got sad as Christmas morning wore into the afternoon, realizing the letdown as the short,gray December day faded into night.

"Is that all there is?"

I wondered why I still was longing in my soul for something more. I think of the verse in Matthew often when I consider all the people crowding the stores, fighting over the best gifts, myself included. "But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd." Matthew 9:36

I need Christ this Christmas, the only light shining in this darkened planet. Is that what you need too? We find that even the most expensive gift sitting under the tree will not satisfy that God-shaped hole the Creator put in each one of us. It is as if Christ is beholding the masses packing the malls all this world over and His heart wants to call out to them all, if only they would listen: "Come to Me,all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30)

Is Christmas a heavy burden to you this year? You need only look to Him. Rest, because you don't have to be perfect. He is perfect for you. If you believe in Him, He shares His very own righteousness with you.

"But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness." Romans 4:5

Who are we trying to please this Christmas as we labor to get the perfect gifts, the perfectly decorated house, have the best Christmas dinner or party? Is that what Christ wants? He doesn't even ask us to remember His birth. It is His death He wants us to remember! "...and when He had given thanks, He broke it (bread*) and said: 'Take, eat, this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me." I Corinthians 11:24

*my explanation

This Christmas, wouldn't it be cool if He found us watching and waiting for His soon return? The Apostle Paul wrote: "Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing." (II Timothy 4:8)
Instead of having the "perfect" Christmas, let our hearts await for our perfect Savior!"

"And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts" II Peter 2: 19

Joy to the world, the Lord has come!
Maranatha! May our Lord come again soon!