SATURDAY - December 1, 2012
THE
DAYSPRING FROM ON HIGH
Luke 1:77-78
Through the tender
mercies of our God,
With which the
Dayspring from on high has visited us;
To give light to those
who sit in darkness and the shadow of death,
To guide our feet into
the way of peace.
Last Sunday morning during praise and worship in church I sang “love has come down – grace has a name – the name of the child is Jesus
Christ ....” and the
Remembrancer brought to my mind the birth
names of Jesus – EMMANUEL – WONDERFUL – COUNSELOR – THE MIGHTY GOD – THE EVERLASTING
FATHER – THE PRINCE OF PEACE . . . and THE DAYSPRING FROM ON HIGH. The DAYSPRING. From. On High. Why have I
never studied that name? I realized I didn’t even truly know what it meant. How
I love that about You, Master. I have been Your child for nearly six decades
and, yet, there are still countless new truths about You to learn! All week long
this name, Dayspring from on high, has danced in and out of my mind and through
my heart.
Dayspring
is not a term we use today. Here in v.77 of the first chapter of Luke, it is a
translation of the Greek word anatole which means “a rising of light” or “sunrise.” In bible times, the word came to mean the
direction of the sunrise – or east. When Matthew wrote that wise men came from
the east (Matt. 2:1), he was literally saying, “wise men came from the
direction of the rising sun.”
Truly,
Lord Jesus, Your birth was that dawn that softly whispered “PROMISE” and “HOPE”
to a world shrouded in darkness. You were the light of a dawn that ushered in
the tender mercy of God toward His people. Would You be in my day today, Jesus?
It’s December 1st and signs of Christmas are all around me. My home
is decorated to the hilt in the typical excess of my nature. I love the
Christmas season. I love the constant
reminders of Your birth and life in all the festive decor. I love the
symbols of love, peace, hope and joy that adorn my many Christmas trees. You bring those things to me through Your many blessings. Thank You for love. Thank You for peace. Thank You for hope. Thank You for joy. Jesus,
thank You for being in my decorations. Use them as constant reminders of Your
continual presence in my life.
The
Christmas season is a busy time. It’s easy to become distracted by all the many
things yet to do. Among the demands of life’s daily routines I have added Christmas activities on my "to do" list, Today I need to
finish making Lisa’s tree skirt, move my Christmas china into the kitchen
cabinets, and finish my Christmas card labels. Jesus, would You be in my little
mundane activities and fill them with meaning because of Your presence?
Jesus, I thank
You for the heritage of a mother and grandmother who were sheer artists with a
needle and thread. I thank You for the time they invested in teaching me their
skills. I thank You that I am able to use something as simple as sewing to
bless a daughter who is more precious to me than life itself. I thank You for
Your priceless gift of FAMILY and how richly You have blessed Roy and me with the
children, grandchildren and great-grandchild You have given us.
Thank
You for lovely dishes to move. Christmas china is an extravagance many do not have. I feel blessed. No – my “china” is not really china. They are
just inexpensive dishes I’ve had for years and many of them have become
scratched and worn; but I love how pretty the table looks when it’s set with them. Thank
You for helping me understand that dishes are not important – PEOPLE are. Thank
You for opening my heart this season to invite people in – even, Lord,
missionaries we’ve never met who will stay with us in a couple of weeks. Thank
You for shining Your light on my insecurities as a hostess and dispelling it’s
darkness. Would You bless the food that is served on these plates? Would You be
in the midst of the conversations around the table? Would You grace our guests
and our family with Your presence?
Thank
You, Jesus, for the opportunity to address Christmas cards. I might not even have sent cards this year had You not prompted me to buy them after Christmas last year. Now, here they are. A plentiful supply - ready and waiting. Sending cards means more
to me this year than any other. With the church-split we endured in January many of our friendships changed. Thank You for the opportunity sending a
Christmas card gives me to say to some I seldom see any more “I still love you –
I pray often for God to bless you.” Grant
me discernment and wisdom from Your Spirit as I pray over each card I address. Thank
You for the precious privilege of prayer and knowing that You hear and answer.
With
each new day there is a time when those first soft hints of dawn give way to a
glorious moment when the first fires of the sun appear and this colossal
fireball rises in unspeakable splendor. It infuses the earth with its warmth and
beauty and life-giving rays. Rise in my life today, Jesus. Fill me with the
warmth of Your love. Fill me with the beauty of Your countenance. Fill me with
Your life-giving Spirit. Jesus, be in my December 1st. Be in every
thought. Be in every action. Rise Dayspring from on high!
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