“I will remember the works of the Lord; Surely I will remember Your wonders of old. I will also meditate on all Your work, And talk of your deeds.” Psalms 77:11-12

The Christmas season is upon us! We have only to look in any store window or town center. Decorations are up. Trees are lit. Santas are hohoho-ing. And sales and store ads overflow our mailboxes and inboxes. I invite you to come along with me; I would like to take December to explore one of our most important Christian holidays, Christmas.

Many times in the old testament, God instructed His people to commemorate special events that had demonstrated God’s power and love for them with a feast or celebration. One of the most familiar is the Passover; when God saved His people, still enslaved in Egypt, from the plague of the death of the first born. God gave specific instructions, like eating unleavened bread and lamb, so that the people would remember the saving grace of God’s love and power.

The Psalmist above reminds us that we are to remember, not only what God has done “of old”, but also the works that God has done for us, we are to think about them and we are to tell others how God has worked in our lives. We are getting ready to commemorate the most awesome and amazing gift of God, the birth of His Son on earth. Jesus came in order to reconcile all people to God by faith in Him and forgiveness of sins. Christmas is our “remembered” celebration of this miraculous event.

Let’s start our Christmas festivities today and continue through the Christmas season. I challenge you (and myself as well) to start by remembering the God-powered and God-loving special events in your and your families’ lives. Let’s remember them, let’s think about them and let’s tell others about them. Let’s look to our awesome and holy God and thank Him for His love, grace, healing, guidance, and especially for the gift of His Son, our savior.

I’ll start. A few weeks ago, I shared my diagnosis of temporal lobe epilepsy in my twenties. It was an overwhelming illness which re-directed my life. But God worked the illness for my good. The experience deepened and enriched my faith. The medicines completely controlled the seizures and I could continue teaching. Years later, I was able to get off the medicines and never had another seizure! Thank You, God, for working in my life; for drawing me close, for the medicines that controlled the seizures, and for the ultimate healing!

As we prepare for the Christmas season, let’s back off on displaying the perfect decorations or getting the latest toy for our child or finding the best gift for our spouse or seeing the newest Christmas movie. Let us focus as a family on all the wonderful works that God has done in our lives. Let us commemorate our own special events that have demonstrated to us God’s love and grace and power.

This week take time with your family to remember God’s works and wonders in your lives and talk of His deeds with each other. Celebrate God’s works and His ultimate Christmas gift!

I thank God for each of you. And I thank you for joining me this week as we begin our Christmas celebration by remembering our glorious God and His extraordinary works in our lives.