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Inspirational Gems for Each Day --  
                        VOLUME 12, Part 2.

                      Written by Marilee Miller

Copyright (c) 1995 & 2009 by Marilee Miller.

PLEASE READ THIS!

Copies may be given privately to about six friends, providing that text is not changed, and
that this full notice accompanies each document or part thereof.
One GEM or parts of two, per Volume, allowed for a public review or article, under the fair use clause.
No other public circulation, no mass copying or commercial or for-profit use without consent
of  the author -- e-mail to:    kingfisher crossing at gmail com (close up the spaces, etc.).

See the complete archive of 365 thoughtful Christian devotionals -- Gems -- at:
www.wordforlife.com/kingfisher/gems-complete/gems-menu

Scripture texts are from the King James Version.


16.  GOD'S PROMISES

     We can relax about what God has said
to us.  If he says he'll do it, let us respond:
"We'll take it!"

     He says he will help us.  So he will. 
He promises to bring healing, preser-
vation, and leading.  He has many ongoing
works of grace to share in our lives.

     ("Lord, we'll take it!  We'll take it all!
We'll take every promise you've made to
us.  Help us to study the Bible to see what
you've promised for us.  Help us to trust
you that your Word is absolutely true.")

            "That thou mightest know the
       certainty of those things [the good
       news about of Jesus Christ], where- 
       in thou hast been instructed."      
      (Luke 1:4)
 (c) 1995 & 2009 by Marilee Miller   


17.  HE CAME!

He came!
He didn't want the human race
         to think of him
As the "distant God,"
One who wound up the universe and left it  
       to run by itself.
So God came!
He came to mankind, as a human himself,
As the infant, helpless child, Jesus.
(But that child grew to be a man
Who died, and rose from the grave,
That I might have his abundant life
         living inside me!
He came to show us
        we don't walk this life alone.
He came to help us,
           to hold each one's hand.
I am so thankful that God came!
Let there be room in my heart
         for his coming afresh,
At Advent, at Christmas,
And every single day!

            "And she [Mary] brought forth
       her firstborn       son...and laid him
in a manger; because there was no room
for them in the inn."   (Luke 2:7)
 (c) 1995 & 2009 by Marilee Miller   


18.  LOVE, COME DOWN

Out of troubled days, Peace came.
Out of sorrow, Gladness came.
Out of difficulty, Endurance came.
Out of despair, Hope came.
Jesus Christ, our Lord of hope.
He is Love, come down to earth.

            "And she [Mary] shall bring
       forth a son, and thou shalt call his
       name JESUS: for he shall save his
       people from their sins."  (Mt. 1:21)
 (c) 1995 & 2009 by Marilee Miller   


19.  TRUSTING GOD

The night winds howl and storms descend,
But I believe God walks with me.
I hear no voice, I feel no hand,
And down the future, I can't see.
I doubt and twist, and wonder if
My Lord is really there for me.
But I have chosen him my own,
And what's more, HE's chosen me.
So let me trust his word is true,
"I'll never leave," he says to me:
"I won't abandon you, you're mine.
In Jesus' name, be free, be free!"
Now Lord, I rest my fears and doubts.
For You have said you'll walk with me.

            "...Fear not...for thou hast
       found favour with God." (Lk. 1:30)
 (c) 1995 & 2009 by Marilee Miller   


20.  EXPECTED GUEST

     A relative is coming for Christmas,
someone much loved, but whom we haven't
seen for several years.  Oh, the expectation,
the anticipation.  The looking forward to
"the day."  And on that day, the glancing at
the clock -- is it time, yet?  When will he come?

     Our Lord is also coming to our house,
continually.  If we let him, he will not merely
visit, but live with us.  This Christmastide,
are we expecting him with a deep anticipation?
 Do we look forward to his coming?  Do we
invite him in?  Oh, may we not turn our backs
on our Savior, but receive him gladly, and
make him the honored -- and expected -- guest
in our lives!

           "But if we walk in the light, as he is
       in the light, we have fellowship one with
       another, and the blood of Jesus Christ
       his Son cleanseth us from all sin."
            (I Jn. 1:7)
 (c) 1995 & 2009 by Marilee Miller   


21.  HE HOLDS OUR LIVES

Dew dripping on every dipping grass blade:
a call to glory's story,
to see God in all his glory-wonder and
love from above.
A thousand spider webs ashimmer, glimmer
in the morning sun,
draped exotically, quixotically over bush
and blade:
a calling for us to see Him who made the
spider,
is also Him who holds our lives and gives
us breath.

            "Great is the Lord, and greatly
       to be praised; and his greatness is
       unsearchable."   (Ps. 145:3)
 (c) 1995 & 2009 by Marilee Miller   


22.  GOD'S SHOUT!

May the Lord brighten your heart
      with hope,
Fill your life with laughter and joy
   even amidst the tumult of the world
without.
May he come to fill you up with peace,
       "gift" you with the wonder of       
   restoration,
And make you sense his presence coming     
    with a glory-shout.

            "And suddenly there was with
       the angel a multitude of the
       heavenly host praising God, and
       saying,
            "Glory to God in the highest,
       and on earth, peace, goodwill
       toward men."   (Luke 2:13-14)
 (c) 1995 & 2009 by Marilee Miller   


23.  MARY, WHAT ARE YOU PONDERING?

Mary, what are you pondering?

     An angel came to me.  He said I am to
bear God's son, the Messiah of the world. 
I do not understand how this can be so! 
But I accept that the Lord will be with
me.  He will make all happen according to
his gracious plan.

Mary, what are you pondering?

     How can I know how to be the mother
of a Messiah, God's dearly beloved Son? 
What does one say, how does one act, to
raise up a Messiah and Savior?  I can only
accept that the Lord will be with me.  God
will make all happen according to his
perfect, life-giving plan.

            "...Mary kept all these things,
       and pondered them in her heart."
                (Luke 2:19)
 (c) 1995 & 2009 by Marilee Miller   


24.  LIFE

     When St. Boniface first introduced
the good news of Christ to Germany, he
found a group ready to sacrifice a child
under an oak tree.  The evangelist rescued
the child and chopped down the oak.  He
then selected a small evergreen tree
growing nearby, presenting it to the people
as a sign of "life."  He called it "the tree
of the Christ Child."  Later on, a cut
evergreen tree reminded Martin Luther of
the life that continues in winter, when
other plants appear dead and barren.
Candles attached to the branches stood
for the light of Christ.

     May the glow of Christ illumine our
inward branches.  May his inspiration
fill our lives with "LIFE".

            "For mine eyes have seen thy
       salvation,
            "Which thou hast prepared      
       before the face of all people;
            "A light to lighten the
       Gentiles, and the glory of thy
       people Israel."   (Luke 2:30-32)
 (c) 1995 & 2009 by Marilee Miller   


25-26.  from the Scriptures

     "And Mary said, My soul doth magnify
the Lord,
     "And my spirit hath rejoiced in God
my Savior.
     "For he hath regarded the low estate
of his handmaiden: for, behold, from
henceforth all generations shall call me
blessed.
     "For he that is mighty hath done to
me great things; and holy is his name.
     "And his mercy is on them that fear
him from generation to generation.
     "He hath shewed strength with his
arm; he hath scattered the proud in the
imagination of their hearts.
     "He hath put down the mighty from
their seats, and exalted them of low
degree.
     "He hath filled the hungry with good
things; but the rich he hath sent empty
away.
     "He hath holpen [helped] his servant
Israel, in remembrance of his mercy..."  
(Luke 1:46-54)


27.  JESUS IS

     Christmas is over.  But Jesus is not
"over."  He is still with us.  If we allow
him to be our Friend, he will stay with us
always.  If we come to him, he will keep
us in his loving care.  Jesus is over all,
that is, bigger than our problems and
needs, greater in love than our hearts can
hold.  But he is never "over" -- his
involvement with us never ends.  So let us
not put away Jesus when we gather up all
the wrappings and playthings of Christmas
day.  But let us know that he "IS", all
year.

            "Blessed be the Lord God of
       Israel; for he hath visited and
       redeemed his people."   (Luke 1:68)
 (c) 1995 & 2009 by Marilee Miller   


28.  GOD CARED ENOUGH

     God loved us so much, that he wanted
to give us his very best.  His best was not
a thing, or a material object.  It was an
 example of his love, shown in a person
we could understand and relate to.  He
wanted to send us a someone who would
show people that God could be loving
and kind and mighty.  A someone to show
people that it doesn't work to try to be
independent of The Maker.  A someone to
teach people the difference between right
and wrong. 

No human being was "good" enough to come
and show the rest of us WHO God was,
what he could and would do for us, what we
should do for him.  So God sent a part of
himself to earth.  We call his name Jesus. 
Jesus Christ came to show us how to feel
"at home" with God, how to feel truly
loved.  He came to be our Friend and
Helper.

            "He [Jesus] shall be great, and
       shall be called the Son of the Highest
     [God]... and of his kingdom there
     shall be no end."   (Luke 1:32a, 33b)
 (c) 1995 & 2009 by Marilee Miller   


29.  "IN" THE LORD

     Sometimes people question how we can
attain to being in the presence of God,
and know we are abiding with God, even
when we don't remember the Lord for a time
because of other duties.  Let us make the
analogy of a family.  The nephew doesn't
stop being his aunt's relative when he is
asleep and isn't thinking about family
status.  The relationship is fact, not
based on "thought" or remembrance.

     So let it be, in our friendship with
the Lord.  If we've once committed our
lives fully to him, then we are his!  He
"keeps" us.  He abides with us, always. 
Even when we don't remember him for
a time, we are still his.  He is still with
us.  This is fact.  (But let us choose,
also, to think of him as often as we
possibly can.)

            "And now, little children
       [believers], abide in him; that,
       when he shall appear, we may
       have confidence, and not be
       ashamed before him at his coming.
            "If ye know that he [the Lord]
       is righteous, ye know that every
       one that doeth righteousness is
       born of him."   (I Jn. 2:28-29)
 (c) 1995 & 2009 by Marilee Miller   


30.  SPEAK THE WORD, LORD

Speak the word, Lord,
           that will dry my tears
And still my disquieted heart.
May I hear of your great generosity,
And trust you'll do your part.
I come with my doubts and my awful fears,
And all my trapped insecurity;
Come, Lord, fill me with You, and start
A revolution of wonder, in me!
Clean up my mind; oh fill my heart!

            "...They shall call on my name,
       and I will hear them: I will say, It
       is my people: and they shall say,
       the Lord is my God."  (Zech. 13:9b)
 (c) 1995 & 2009 by Marilee Miller   


31.  MY DESIRE IS TOWARD THE LORD

Melt my heart in absolute devotion to you,
Lord.
Keep me pliable, teachable, leadable,
"give-able."
Teach me the meaning of a
crucified-resurrected life
With you as only Head and Lord and Guide.
Offer me yourself as my greatest --
indeed, my only --
Fulfillment to "need" in life.
Let me be yours with a burning desire.
All this you must do for me, oh Lord.
I can desire you, but cannot achieve your
presence
"Happening" within me in a significant
way.
Thank you that you are ever you, and my
own God!

            " ...The Holy Ghost [Spirit]
       shall come upon you, and the power
       of the Highest shall overshadow
       thee..."   (Luke 1:35a)
 (c) 1995 & 2009 by Marilee Miller   
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[This is the end of Gems for Each Day.]
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