Category: Twelve Days of Christmas

Epiphany: An Illuminating Discovery

On the twelfth day of Christmas my True Love gave to me
an Epiphany!
 
 
 
 
 Now we see things imperfectly as in a poor mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely,
just as God knows me now.
 
There are three things that will endure
 — faith, hope, and love —
and the greatest of these is love.
 
Let love be your highest goal,
but also desire the special abilities the Spirit gives . . .
1 Corinthians 13:11-14:1 NLT


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Love is . . .

On the eleventh day of Christmas my True Love gave to me,
more than eleven facets of love.
 

Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.
Love doesn’t strut,
Doesn’t have a swelled head,
Doesn’t force itself on others,
Isn’t always “me first,”
Doesn’t fly off the handle,
Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn’t revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.

 Love never dies.
 
(1Corinthians 13:4-8a The Message)
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Tenets: Principles to Hold Us Together

On the tenth day of Christmas my True Love gave to me,
ten tenets for holy living.
 
 

1. You must not have any other god but Me.

 
2. You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands.

3. You must not misuse the name of the Lord your God. The Lord will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name.

4. Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. For in six days the Lord made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.

5. Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the Lord your God is giving you.

6. You must not murder.

7. You must not commit adultery.

8. You must not steal.

9. You must not testify falsely against your neighbor.

10. You must not covet your neighbor’s house. You must not covet your neighbor’s wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor.
 
 
(from Exodus 20:3-17 NLT,
renumbered for the purpose of this blog post)
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Fruitful: An Abundant Yield

On the ninth day of Christmas my True Love gave to me,
nine gifts for fruiful living.
 

 

 

But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.
(Galatians 5:22,23a The Message)

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Beatitude: A Statement of Utmost Bliss

On the eighth day of Christmas my True Love gave to me,
eight statements of utmost bliss.

Blessed are the poor in spirit,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
 
Blessed are those who mourn,
For they shall be comforted. 

Blessed are the meek,
For they shall inherit the earth. 

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
For they shall be filled.

Blessed are the merciful,
For they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart,
For they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers,
For they shall be called sons of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
(Matthew 5:3-10 NKJV)


A Beatitude is a formula phrase, well-known from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. It starts with “Blessed are,” and this phrase can be found throughout Scripture. Look for it in the Psalms, Proverbs and even Revelation.

In literary terms, a beatitude can be defined as an aphorism. An aphorism is a concise, memorable statement of truth. It is a pronouncement of blessing, more than a wish for blessing; it’s a desired quality of life. (paraphrased from Delight of Words by Leland Ryken)

In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word, “barak” is translated “to bless.” In Mounce’s Expository Dictionary, he explains the outcome of God’s blessing:

“When God blesses, it is not an impotent wish but the empowering and transforming word that accomplishes its purpose. To pronounce a blessing carries a sense of inevitability such that, once it has been uttered, it cannot be retracted.”

He compares a human blessing upon others not as “magical, but as a prayer offered to a sovereign God.” (Mounce)

As I enter the new year, I challenged myself to choose one beatitude and ask God to transform me into its truth. I chose with much trepidation and expectation:

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”

I believe God fulfills the desires and aspirations of our prayers, but I also know that purity comes through refining fire.

God, be with me, as I enter Your intentions for 2013. Amen!


 

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