Christmas Meditation (Dec 25) The Nativity & Heaven

The Nativity

1. Four thousand years had passed since God promised to our first parents that a Redeemer should come to free the world from the curse that had fallen upon it when Adam was disobedient to the divine command. Prophets and kings had desired to see the day when that promise should be fulfilled, but had not seen it. The whole world had long expected the day of redemption. God always is slow in His best gifts. Hence learn to be patient. “He will surely come. He will not tarry/’

2. All the world was at peace at the moment when Christ was born. The angry passions of men were hushed as if in compliment to the Prince of peace. He never comes where strife and confusion prevail. If I desire that He should come into my heart to-day, I must resolve to keep under my evil passions, and the self-will that dares to do battle against the will of God.

3. But when the gift came at last, it was a gift worthy of the divine generosity. It was a gift of infinite value, given to all and each of the sons of men. It was a gift in which God gave Himself to be wholly ours. That little Infant in the cradle before Whom I kneel to-day is the omnipotent God, loving me with an immeasurable love; my King, my Lord, my Redeemer, my best Friend, the divine Lover of my soul. Oh, would that I loved Him more!

Heaven

Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man what things God hath prepared for them that love Him. (1 Cor. ii. 9.)

1. These words convey the best idea that the Apostle who had been carried up into the third heaven could give of the happiness of the redeemed. All the loveliest things we have ever seen are as nothing in comparison to the sight of heaven; all the sweetest sounds are discord compared with the music of heaven; all the joys that have made the longest hours only too short do not deserve the name of joy compared with the joys of heaven. One moment of heaven is worth them all!

2. Whatever God does He does on a scale worthy of Himself. The happiness of heaven will be immeasurable from the fact of its being in union with the God of infinite love and beauty. It will be a joy like the joy of Our Lord Himself, since He will say to each of the redeemed: “Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.” Am I doing what I can to insure those words being addressed to me?

3. In heaven all will be perfectly happy. Even those who have the lowest places will have all that their hearts desire. There will be no unsatisfied wish in heaven, no craving after what we do not possess. Every one will have an overflowing cup of pleasure. Oh, what fools we are not to do more to insure the joy of heaven!

Pray that you may often think of heaven and its joys.