Christmas Greetings

Christmas Greetings

"Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered." - Psalms 40:5

God, truly, has been moving in mighty ways in the past number of weeks, and, we cannot thank and praise Him enough for His "lovingkindness" that "endureth for ever." In the last while we have experienced far too many blessings to number. We can say only that, in an abundance of ways the Lord has answered prayer and blessed us, even in doing things for us that "we looked not for" (Isaiah 64:3).

However, the greatest blessing of them all has been to know the Lord Jesus Himself drawing near and going with us. Glory be to God, we have known an increased sense of the Lord's gracious presence, personally, and in ministry, and we praise Him without ceasing that His power and presence have been felt so evidently in our midst. We especially sensed the Lord near at the Revival Meetings both in Moy and Greenock (Scotland) and we have a desire and an appetite to know more of His gracious presence! (Isaiah 64:1-3).

Whatever blessings we can all count and praise God for, let us above all else exclaim with Paul: "Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift" (2 Corinthians 9:15). God is so good and so faithful, indeed, we must acknowledge that "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning" (James 1:17). But as we are taken up with our great gifts from His gracious hand, let us not make the mistake of many this Christmas time, who will fix their eyes on their gifts at the expense of the Giver.

May we be able to say with A.B. Simpson:

Once it was the blessing,
Now it is the Lord;
Once it was the feeling,
Now it is His Word;
Once His gifts I wanted,
Now the Giver own;
Once I sought for healing,
Now Himself alone.
All in all for ever,
Jesus will I sing;
Everything in Jesus,
And Jesus everything!

May the LORD JESUS CHRIST be everything to you this Christmas and New Year and forevermore!