Christmas Message - my reflection on today's Utmost reading

December 25, 2009
His Birth and Our New Birth

His Birth in Me. "My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you . . ." (Galatians 4:19 ).

What a profound statement!  It is interesting that God gave women labor pains after Eve's disobedience; yet, He chooses "labor"  as a metaphor to show the depth of His love for us!  He has been wrestling with us from the beginning, hasn't He?
In Genesis  8:21, Noah built an altar to the Lord after he and his family survived the flood.  The LORD smelled the soothing aroma; and the LORD said to Himself, "I will never again curse the ground on account of man, for the intent of man's heart is evil from his youth; and I will never again destroy every living thing, as I have done."
Even though we are 'evil from [our] youth', God chooses NOT to give up on us, but labors on our behalf to bring us to Himself.  This is the Christmas story...that he gave us His Son towards that end.  Wow.