Thought for the Week-The House

Good Afternoon Girlfriends!

Happy Thanksgiving....a couple of days late!!  I trust everyone ate their fill of turkey, dressing, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin pie!  I know that we sure did!  We managed to do some pretty significant damage to our turkey...not to mention my waistline...over this past weekend.  But, as the saying goes, Thanksgiving is history and it's time to move on!  It wasn't long after the dishes had been cleared, that I sent my sweet husband up to attic to retrieve box after box after RubberMaid tub of...you guessed it...Christmas decorations!  Too soon?  You may be wondering.  Well, let me explain.

Next weekend our house will play host the annual Christmas party of the A-Team (the men's group from church).  Now what kind of Christmas party would it be without Christmas decorations?  So, after cooking for two days, I (with the help of my husband and daughter) spent the next three days, decorating our house.  We put up the main tree in the family room.  Yes, you read that correctly: I said "main tree".  Then Jeff wrapped the banister with garland.  The fireplace mantle was stripped of its pictures, where snowmen, Christmas trees, stocking hangers and pre-lit garland of its own was placed.  My snow globe collection was gently taken out of their boxes.  Then, with absolute care and delicate hands (while the family watched, as no one is allowed to touch) I set up my grandmother's nativity scene.  We then spent the next couple of days setting up the other tree and remaining decorations and outdoor lights.

Over the top?  Perhaps.  Naturally, this all got me thinking.  Why did I do all of this?  It's true, I love Christmas.  I love setting the house up.  I love the festive-ness...the warmth that season brings.  But the main reason was because I was having people over, and I didn't want my house to be naked.  Pitiful reason.  Let's look at what the Book has to say about outward appearances.

This Thought came to me while I was sitting at a red light listening to a Christmas song about the street lights even blinking red and green.  It's all outward.  However, God doesn't really pay much attention to outward appearances.  I'm thinking of three kings.  The first, looked very royal, well, at least he was tall.  You see back in the day, the Israelites wanted a king.  Who they got, was Saul: "They ran and brought him out, and as he stood among the people he was a head taller than any of the others." 1 Samuel 10:23  King Saul didn't work out very well.  The people wanted Saul because he looked like he could get the job done; turned out he couldn't.  But God had a better plan.  Read with me about his successor, "'Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him [speaking of David's brothers].  The LORD does not look at the things man looks at.  Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart...Samuel took the horn of oil an anointed him [David] in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came upon David in power." 1 Samuel 16:7, 13  David worked out better than Saul, but still he had issues.  There would be a final King who would come.  A King who would come from the line of David, and would rule with definite power and infinite authority once and for all.  One more time, read with me from the Old Testament Scriptures, this time from Isaiah 53:2, 5 "He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground.  He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him...he was pierced for our transgressions...the punishment that brought us peace was upon him."

Do you see it?  God looks at the heart of the thing.  It doesn't matter how something is packaged.  It doesn't matter how many trees we put up.  It doesn't matter if our door bell chimes Jingle Bells each time someone rings it.  The only thing that matters is the state of your heart.  Is your heart ready to receive?  Is there room for Jesus to sit down and stay awhile in the living room of your heart?  I cleaned up the house that I live in.  I stored stuff in boxes, and I stashed things away in the attic that I won't see until January.  And please, please, whatever you do...don't open the door to the closet under the stairs!  But the house that is the most important, the house that needs the most attention is you.  Are you ready?  He's coming.  He wants to see you.  Here's a little tip: Even if your heart is a complete disaster area--He still wants to see you.  He's bringing peace this Christmas season.  Don't worry about the tinsel.  Don't worry about the tree.  Spend some time with Jesus, the gifts He brings, cannot be beat!  Have a blessed week!


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