“For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy” (Luke 1:44).

The Christmas story is so familiar to us that it’s extremely easy to miss the significance of the little things it contains. That’s what struck me as I read and meditated upon the words of Elizabeth recorded in Luke 1:44. Let me set the stage for you.

Both Mary and Zechariah, Elizabeth’s husband, had been visited by an angel informing them of an impending pregnancy. The news came as a shock to both, but for different reasons. Elizabeth was too old to have a baby, and Mary was an unmarried virgin. Nonetheless, both Elizabeth and Mary responded with faith to what appeared on the surface to be seemingly impossible.

Now as you know, shortly after Mary became pregnant, she visited Elizabeth. She remained with her for three months. When Mary initially entered Elizabeth’s house, that’s when the baby Elizabeth was carrying “leaped for joy.” The word “leaped” literally means to skip. The word “joy” means extreme gladness. Thus, the baby Elizabeth was carrying skipped with extreme gladness at the sound of Mary’s voice. I think that we might learn from that as the Christmas season approaches. Here is what I mean by that.

What is it that makes you “leap for joy” this Christmas season? Perhaps you are looking forward to a special time to relax (hope that happens for you); or perhaps special time with family is what brings you joy. Maybe you are looking forward to the expression on your kids’ faces as they decorate the tree or open presents. There is no shortage of things to be joyful about during the Christmas season. Yet the baby Elizabeth was carrying (John the Baptist) leaped in joy for no reason other than he sensed the presence of Jesus. That’s awesome, and something from which we can learn.

I know you’ve heard it a thousand times, but the fact is that the true meaning of this season gets lost by all the stuff that goes on. It’s not necessarily bad stuff, just too much of it. Would you agree? That’s where the simplicity of the story of the baby leaping touches me. John the Baptist was still a baby. Yet the presence of another baby, the one who would one day become his Savior, made him leap with exceeding gladness.

That’s the core of the Christmas message. The simple presence of the Christ is meant to serve as the source of our exceeding gladness. Is that the case for you right now? Is the presence of Christ the source of your joy? If not, you are likely looking for the wrong things this Christmas season. John leaped. We would do well to do the same. Leap with me, would you?

“He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way” (Psalm 25:9).

There is no doubt; a teachable heart is a vital prerequisite to having a proper relationship with the Lord. Yet what is it that best describes a teachable heart? Well, I’ve come to see that one word best describes a teachable heart, and that word is humility. Is that not exactly what David had in mind as he wrote Psalm 25:9?

Take a close look at the verse again. It tells us that God does two things; he leads and he teaches. He leads us on the right path and he teaches us his way. But note as well the qualifier for such leading and teaching. In both instances, it’s humility. In other words, God’s leading and teaching are predicated upon our humility, the degree to which our hearts are teachable. Would you agree that this has enormous implications for how we structure our lives?

As you know, I spend a significant amount of time each week visiting with you, one on one. The issues we discuss, anguish over, and pray about are many and varied. In some instances, there is pain due to bad choices and the damage sin brings. It always catches my attention when I visit with an individual, young or old, who refuses to change their behavior and yet still wonders why their situation is not getting better. In other words, they lack a teachable spirit, which perpetuates the consequences of their bad choices. What accounts for the absence of a teachable spirit? Pride is the culprit in every instance.

I believe there is a simple lesson in this for each of us. Humility promotes a teachable heart, which in turn leads to an obedient life, which culminates in the blessings of God. Is there an area in your life in which you need divine leading? Check your humility. Are you waiting on God to teach you something? The place to start is to gauge the depth of your humility. Humility is the starting and ending point for God’s blessings in your life. Are you willing to accept that?

But there is more to the issue of humility. Humility also serves as the catalyst for serving others. Humble people serve. They serve in the unseen areas. They serve with joy, knowing no one else sees (except God of course). I am amazed how wonderful it is to humbly serve others when no one cares to receive the credit for the service rendered. Does that describe you?

God truly leads the humble and teaches them his ways. David understood that the way of humility is the path to God’s blessings and the service of others. It’s a lesson we would all benefit from.

“But now O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter. We are all the work of your hand” (Isaiah 64:8).

There are few passages in scripture that bring to me a greater sense of comfort and joy than what we read in Isaiah chapter sixty-four. Take a close look at it with me.

The first point Isaiah made is that God is indeed our Father. The image of God as Father is present throughout scripture. Now I don’t know what your relationship with your father was like, but I do know the incredible impact a father has on his children. Good fathers bring security, comfort, stability, safety, leadership, protection and strength to their homes. The absence of a father has the potential to stifle the health of the family and all its members. I had a good relationship with my father, but he died when I was thirteen years old. To this day, I lament not having a father during the years since his death.

But there’s more. Not only is God our father, Isaiah referred to him as the potter, with us being the clay. Once again I like that. It tells me that God shapes us into the people he wants us to be, provided we remain pliable in his hands. I take great comfort in knowing that he shapes us. It tells me that whatever he brings into our lives is for the greater purpose of making us vessels suitable for his use. The potter molds, shapes, forms, fashions and constructs the clay according to his wishes into whatever he desires.

God does the same thing in our lives. He takes an intimate interest in the clay (his children) for the purpose of making us into whatever his sovereign plan includes. In shaping the clay as he does, God is always at work for his glory and the good of the clay. After all, no potter makes a vessel that does not reflect the skill of the potter. God works in the same way. The truth of the matter is that we are the reflection of his skill as a potter. How and what he does in shaping us makes us the work of his hands meant to reflect his glory.

I am quite comfortable in embracing the reality that a good father is at work as a good potter in creating a good product, a vessel suitable for his use. Join me in embracing the gentle hand of the potter at work in our lives, would you?