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ADVENT 8 : JESUS – CONSOLATION OF ISRAEL

December 8, 2022November 30, 2022 joymargetts

SIMEON

There is a little story in Luke 2:25-30 that introduces us to Simeon. Simeon was an old man, a devout lover of God who had waited for years for the promised Messiah. He was led to be in the Temple by the Holy Spirit at just the moment that Jesus’ parents arrived with the infant Christ, and got to hold his Messiah in his arms and to prophesy over Him

CONSOLATION: COMFORT

Luke tells us that Simeon was waiting expectantly for the ‘Consolation of Israel’. Now the word ‘consolation’ can be translated as ‘comfort’, ‘help’ or ‘encouragement’ and that is great. At the time of Jesus’ birth, Israel was in dire need of comfort, help and encouragement and it was no wonder that Christ was longed for. He is the bringer of comfort. Elsewhere in scripture we are promised the comfort of the Holy Spirit (Acts 9 : 31), the comfort of the Scriptures (Psalm 119:50) and the comfort of God Himself (2 Corinthians 1:3).

Text of 2 Corinthians 1:3, within a wreath of evergreen and berries

ADVOCATE

But a more exact translation of the word ‘consolation’ is ‘advocate’: it has legal implication. It is the one ready to stand by your side before the judge and give evidence on your behalf. Applying this to the person of Jesus makes much more sense. Yes, He would be the bringer of comfort, but He was also coming as an advocate.

He is our advocate before the Great Judge, His Father. He is our great High Priest (Hebrews 4 :14). What a comfort it is to picture Him standing beside us before God. When we know we need someone to speak on our behalf, because we mess up so easily. What a consolation to our troubled spirits, when guilt and shame threaten, to know that He gave His life, so that we can be free of those once and for all. He is our great encourager, our consolation.

Thank Him for being your consolation, in every sense of the word.

Text of Hebrews 4:14, within a wreath of evergreen and berries

Image of front cover of the book The Pilgrim

Where can I go from your Spirit? He had read that. He couldn’t remember when, but now he could almost see the words written on the page in his imagination. He closed his eyes and there they were.

Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.
If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me.
If I say, ‘Surely the darkness shall fall on me,’ Even the night shall be light about me;
Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, But the night shines as the day;
The darkness and the light are both alike to You.[1] The words comforted him, and his mind stilled. The darkness suddenly didn’t seem as dark. Hywel turned over onto his side and sleep came quickly.

THE PILGRIM p202

[1] Psalm 139:7-12, NKJV.

Joy Margetts is a published author and blogger. Her books are works of Christian Historical fiction. Set in medieval Wales against the backdrop of Cistercian abbey life, they tell stories of faith, hope and God’s redemptive power. Her debut novel ‘The Healing‘ was published by Instant Apostle on 19 March 2021. Joy has also self- published a short novella, ‘The Beloved‘ as both a companion to ‘The Healing‘, and as an easy to read standalone story, which is available to buy on Amazon Kindle.

‘The Pilgrim‘, her second full length novel, was published by Instant Apostle on 22 July 2022

More information on Joy, and her books can be found here www.joymargetts.com

advent, Bible, Christian Writer, Jesus, Names of Christ, The Word of God

ADVENT 7 – JESUS – THE BRIDEGROOM

December 7, 2022December 7, 2022 joymargetts

THE BRIDEGROOM

One of the most beautiful descriptions of Jesus for me is that of the bridegroom.

John the Baptist exalted Christ, describing Him as the bridegroom coming for His bride. He described himself as the friend of the bridegroom (John 3:29). Jesus also described Himself as the bridegroom. He did so in response to the Pharisees who were criticising His disciples for not fasting . Why should they be fasting and miserable when the time they have left with the bridegroom was time for celebration (Matt 9: 15)?

The bridegroom theme was one that Jesus’ listeners would have been familiar with; God Himself described Himself as the bridegroom, the one who rejoices over His people as His bride (Isaiah 62: 5).

text of Isaiah 62 v 5 within a red heart. Above the heart is a string of Christmas lights, below it pine cones and berries.

COMING FOR THE BRIDE

In Hebrew tradition the bride would get herself prepared on her wedding day, and sit beautifully dressed waiting patiently at her home until her bridegroom and his friends came calling. Her bridegroom would then come and take her back with Him to His own home. What a wonderful picture for us. Jesus our bridegroom is coming for us to make us fully His.

Do you not feel you are worthy? Well in Rev 21:2 He tells us that the bride (the church) He is coming for is already beautifully adorned, dressed ready for her bridegroom – because He has made us pure and spotless for Him.

Photograph of the upper body and hand of a bride, in bridal dress, taken through a thick veil.

BESOTTED BY THE BRIDE

And how does He feel about us His bride? Well just turn to Song of Solomon, which is a beautiful love song between the bridegroom and His bride, and a glorious picture of Christ wooing us. Song 4: 9 says ‘you have ravished my heart, My sister, My bride’. He is completely besotted with us. The romantic in me loves that Jesus is described in this way. He is the lover of our souls. Transfixed by our beauty, He can’t wait for the day when He comes and makes us fully His for all eternity.

Do you struggle to see Jesus being besotted by you?

text of Song of Solomon 4 v 9 within a red heart. Above the heart is a string of Christmas lights, below it pine cones and berries.

Image of front cover of the book, The Healing

‘He wants me to have it all, doesn’t He?’ The realisation of that truth was beginning to sink in. ‘God wants me to be happy, to be loved, to be fulfilled, to be useful. For me that could be as a husband, a custodian, a father, even. I still can’t quite believe it, that this is the reason He restored my life? I wanted to believe there was some great act of service I was to do for Him, some noble sacrifice on my part, a life of devotion to Him to pay Him back for what He has done for me.’

THE HEALING p 205

‘The Pilgrim‘, her second full length novel, was published by Instant Apostle on 22 July 2022

More information on Joy, and her books can be found here www.joymargetts.com

advent, Bible, Christian Writer, christmas, Jesus, Names of Christ

ADVENT 6 : JESUS – RULER

December 6, 2022December 5, 2022 joymargetts

RULER IN ISRAEL

When the Magi came to Jerusalem they were looking for the promised King of the Jews and were expecting a prince born in a palace. But this King was born in much more humble surroundings. The scholars of Herod’s court knew where to send the Magi, because of the prophecy in Micah 5:2 – that out of Bethlehem would come ‘The One to be Ruler in Israel’.

Text of Micah 5 v 2 in a wooden frame, on a background of Christmas decorations

As we saw yesterday it wasn’t just the promised King Israel was waiting for, but also for His righteous reign. Many of our favourite fairy tales and stories, from Robin Hood to Narnia, and including ‘The Lord of the Rings’, explore the theme of a good ruler coming whose power and authority would turn bad to good and restore society to what it should be. In this new King of the Jews the great expectation would be that He would be a ruler to crush Roman cruelty and restore peace and prosperity to Israel. But He was to be a different kind of ruler; a King of hearts and minds. His reign would be a spiritual one bringing the realities of the kingdom of heaven to earth.

RULER OF HEARTS AND LIVES

Our response to Jesus must be to submit to Him as ruler of our hearts and lives. He does restore, He does turn bad to good; He makes all things new, but requires us to acknowledge Him as King. It is His right, and one day He will reign over all creation. The government shall be upon His shoulders (Is 9:6).

Text of Isaiah 9 v 6 within a wreath of evergreens and berries.

The child the Magi found in Bethlehem was a king that would turn the world upside down; by His life and death He would prove Himself ruler of all. The ‘Lion of the tribe of Judah’, the one who carries the sceptre and wears the crown (Rev 5:5, Gen 49:10), who stands in heaven as the one worthy of all our praise and adoration.

Is Jesus the ruler of your heart and mind?

Image of a lion's face with the words 'Lion of Judah', and a golden crown.

‘Have you given your heart and your desires over to God, the lover of your soul, Carys? Have you asked Him to give you your heart’s desire?’

‘But I don’t know what it is my heart truly desires!’

‘The wonder of it is, when we surrender our lives to His love, and commit ourselves to His ways, then He gives us the desires of our hearts – not necessarily the things we think we want and desire – but He gives us a desire for the things He wants us to have. The things He knows are best for us.’

THE BELOVED p 25

‘The Pilgrim‘, her second full length novel, was published by Instant Apostle on 22 July 2022

More information on Joy, and her books can be found here www.joymargetts.com

advent, Bible, Christian Writer, christmas, Jesus, Names of Christ, The Word of God

ADVENT 5 : JESUS – THE BRANCH FROM THE ROOT OF JESSE

December 5, 2022November 30, 2022 joymargetts

MY SERVANT THE BRANCH

We are back in the book of Zechariah today. Another picture of the Messiah found in the book of Zechariah is in 3 : 8, ‘I am bringing forth My servant the Branch’, God declares.

In Jeremiah 23 : 5 we read that the branch will be a ‘branch of righteousness’ and from ‘David’. Isaiah 11:1 also describes this ‘branch’, this ‘shoot from the stem of Jesse’.

A GLORIOUS KING

When we think of a branch we might picture the branch of a tree, but the meaning here is more like a sprout of new growth with the potential to become a strong branch. If a great tree like an oak is felled and a stump left, with it’s roots still in the ground, there is the potential for a new branch to begin to sprout and grow from it. The stump or stem in this case is the kingly line of David and his father Jesse, and the branch that will sprout from it a new and glorious King. Although a King not born in a palace but in a Bethlehem stable.

The prophets Zechariah, Isaiah and Jeremiah were speaking at a time when the Kingdom of Israel was disintegrating and suffering under a succession of evil and godless kings. The promise was for a King who would have a reign of righteousness; like David the great King who had once ruled a great Israel. But this new King’s reign would even surpass that of David’s.

FULL OF THE SPIRIT

The features of this King and His reign are described in Isaiah 11:1-10. Full of the Spirit and wisdom, fully submitted to God, and delighting in Him, the branch King will reign with righteousness, justice, faithfulness and compassion. His reign (Kingdom) will see the lion lying down with the lamb, and the earth full of the knowledge of God. Gentiles (the nations) will seek Him and His kingdom.

This is our Jesus, the King whose reign has begun but will come into its fullness in eternity, when the heavens and earth are made new, and sin and death, evil and darkness will have no longer have any power.

Is Jesus King in your life? He is righteous and trustworthy.

‘The tree will bear fruit again. We have seen it so many times before to know that it is true. Spring always follows winter. While the tree lives, even through the winter, then there is hope that it will flourish again when spring comes. So it is with us. We are sometimes defined, and altered, by the hard things that life throws at us, but we can learn to even appreciate the winter seasons. It is often in those hard times that God is doing the deepest and most important things inside of us, to prepare us for the more fruitful seasons of our lives that will inevitably follow. Our responsibility is to make sure our roots are deep and grounded in truth. In God, and what He says.’

THE HEALING pp 34-35

‘The Pilgrim‘, her second full length novel, was published by Instant Apostle on 22 July 2022

More information on Joy, and her books can be found here www.joymargetts.com

advent, Bible, Christian Writer, Holy Spirit, Jesus

ADVENT 4 : JESUS- FOUNTAIN OF LIFE

December 4, 2022November 30, 2022 joymargetts

CLEANSING FOUNTAIN

The little book of Zechariah is full of Messianic prophecies. One of these in Zech 13:1 promises a ‘fountain’ for the house of David. The explicit purpose for this fountain is for cleansing from sin. Psalm 36:9 describes God Himself as a ‘fountain of life’.

Text of Psalm 36:9, on a background of a image of Christmas tree baubles

Now when we read the word ‘fountain’ we might automatically think of an ornamental fountain in a grand garden. This is something completely different. The word ‘fountain’ could be translated as ‘spring’ but that is not enough if we picture a trickling spring on a rocky mountainside. This fountain is more, much more – it is water of life and cleansing springing up and flowing over in torrents, a well of never ending water, a wellspring.

FOUNTAIN OF LIFE

Jesus met the Samaritan women at a well and began a discussion with her about water and life. In John 4:13-14 He tells her that He is the source of water that will satisfy her thirst forever and will become like a fountain of life within her.

Text of John 4 v 13-14, on a background of a image of Christmas tree baubles

In Rev 21:6 the glorified Jesus offers the fountain of life to any that thirst for it. In the natural, water is necessary for life. As human beings we have the blessing of being able to turn a tap on at any time and access a clean, constant water source for drinking and cleansing.

In the Spiritual, Jesus is that water source. He is the source of all spiritual life, creating life within is and sustaining that life. He offers cleansing – because He shed His blood we can be washed, made white as snow (Isaiah 1:18) if we come to Him repentant.

So next time you turn on the tap for water, take a moment to connect with the One who is the ever-flowing fountain of life and thank Him for your life in Him.

Fast flowing torrent of water pouring over rocks

^‘Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned … God. I am so sorry. Thank You for Your mercy and grace. Thank You for the cross. Wash me. Make me clean, God. I submit myself to You, and lay my burden at Your feet.

‘Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation … Stay here with me, God. Let me feel Your grace. Change me, restore me, forgive me. I am Yours.

Hywel felt inexplicable peace descend and wash over him, until the very air around him seemed to be saturated with it. ‘It is finished’. God’s voice, not his.

THE PILGRIM p 225

‘The Pilgrim‘, her second full length novel, was published by Instant Apostle on 22 July 2022

More information on Joy, and her books can be found here www.joymargetts.com

advent, Bible, Christian Writer, christmas, Jesus

ADVENT 3 : JESUS- FOUNDATION STONE

December 3, 2022November 30, 2022 joymargetts

Text of Isaiah 26:16 on a background image of frosted evergreens.

FOUNDATION STONE

In Isaiah 28:16 God promises a stone that will be tried (tested) and precious, that will be a sure (trustworthy) foundation. We aren’t talking about a pebble here but a solid block of unyielding granite that has passed every stress test imaginable and has proved it’s worth, to be safe to build on.

Ephesians 2:20 – 22 makes it clear that this foundation stone, this ‘chief cornerstone’ is Jesus Himself. He passed every test, including the test of the cross, and has proved Himself precious and trustworthy, solid enough to build our lives, and the whole church on. This ‘chief cornerstone’ would be rejected (Psalm 118 : 22, Matt 21:42) by those who could not see it’s worth, but would stand nevertheless.

Text of Ephesians 2:20-21 on a background image of frosted evergreens.

STUMBLING BLOCK

This stone would be more than a foundation stone, it would be a stone of offense – a stumbling block (1 Peter 2: 4-8). Now a stumbling block is just that – it’s large stone that trips you up as you blindly go down a path not looking at where you are putting your feet! It stops you in your tracks and maybe even makes you fall flat on your face. 1 Peter 2 makes it clear that it is those who blindly go off down the path of disobedience that will find themselves stumbling on the block that is Jesus. He will make them reconsider the path they are on and where they are headed.

To those who believe He is immeasurably precious. His love and His truth, tested in the fire of suffering, are the surest foundation we could ever need to centre our lives on.

His truth, the conviction of His Spirit and the Word, can at times, also be the stumbling block we need to stop us in our tracks and get us back on the right path. Precious Cornerstone.

Have you ever experienced Jesus as a stumbling block, stopping you from going down a path that would have harmed you?

It was cool and quiet inside the stone building, and sunlight shone through the high windows. He would pray and meditate a while, and refocus on the here and now and the life he had here, a life that contented him. He knelt and let his head fall, closing his eyes and breathing slowly and deeply. ‘I need Your peace, God, come close to me,’ he whispered in his soul. Aware of only the sound of his own breathing and the feel of the warm sunshine as it kissed his shoulder, Philip stayed bowed and let God’s peace flow over him. It was as if his soul breathed deeply, and found its way back to rest. Philip smiled to himself. It was so much easier these days, in this place, in this atmosphere, to recentre himself and let peace and joy quieten the tumult within. He thanked God for teaching him the simplicity of a devoted life, through the example and compassion of the true lovers of God that had become his teachers in this place. THE HEALING P 159

‘The Pilgrim‘, her second full length novel, was published by Instant Apostle on 22 July 2022

More information on Joy, and her books can be found here www.joymargetts.com

advent, Bible, Christian Writer, Jesus the Shepherd, Names of Christ, The Word of God

ADVENT 2 : JESUS – SHEPHERD

December 2, 2022December 1, 2022 joymargetts

Text of Psalm 23 v 1-2 on a background of festively wrapped gifts

TRUE SHEPHERD

Psalm 23 is perhaps the most familiar and most quoted of all the Psalms. David, the Psalmist, describes the Lord as his shepherd, the one who leads, feeds and protects. The theme is explored with even more depth in Ezekiel 34, where God describes Himself as the true shepherd to His people. In v 23 of that chapter He talks of the ‘one shepherd’ to come, calling Him his ‘servant David’. Now as Ezekiel was prophesying long after the death of King David this can only refer to Jesus, David’s greater son.

Isaiah 40 :11 describes this shepherd as feeding, gathering, carrying and leading His lambs.

Text of Isaiah 40 v 11 on a background of festively wrapped gifts

GOOD SHEPHERD

In John 10 :11 – 16 Jesus describes Himself as the Good Shepherd, as the one who would give His life for His sheep, and as the one who intimately knows His sheep. When He came, Israel was a people without a true shepherd (Matt 9: 36), weary and scattered. Sheep without a Shepherd are vulnerable in every sense. A good shepherd in Jesus’ time was much more than just a leader, he was one who cared deeply for the sheep in His care, would ensure they were fed, rested, and safe. He would give his very life to protect them and cared that not even one sheep went astray.

Image of a a flock of sheep being led by a shepherd in biblical times

Jesus came to offer Himself to the people of Israel as the true Shepherd His Father had promised them, and for those who accepted Him that is what He became. He offers the same for us. When we belong to Him, we are the sheep of His pasture and He is the Shepherd of our souls (1 Peter 2 : 25) who has brought the wandering ones back to Himself. We can trust Him, to feed us, care for and protect us, even to carry us close to His heart when that is what we need.

Is Jesus your Shepherd in every area of your life?

He was reading the Psalms mostly in his private study. He thought back to when he had read them in the early days of his recovery at Grand Selve, where it was the complaints of the psalmist that spoke most to him. Now as he read the Psalms, it was the cries of praise, the promises of hope, and the testimonies to God’s faithfulness that spoke most into his situation. He could meditate on these, and hear God’s voice speaking into his spirit and soul. He loved the Gospels also, and these he found himself reading as he was illuminating them, his pen being put to one side as the story of his Saviour gripped his heart. The man Jesus came to life in the words, and made him yearn to live a life modelled on His. THE HEALING p 151

‘The Pilgrim‘, her second full length novel, was published by Instant Apostle on 22 July 2022

More information on Joy, and her books can be found here www.joymargetts.com

advent, Bible, Christian Writer, Glorifying Jesus, Jesus, Names of Christ, The Word of God

ADVENT 1: JESUS – SERVANT

December 1, 2022November 30, 2022 joymargetts

This year I am going to attempt to do something I have never done before, on this blog at least. Today marks the first day of Advent and I am going to attempt to post a blog every day, right up until Christmas.

A few years ago I did a series of studies on the names and descriptors of Jesus, primarily taken from the Old Testament Messianic prophecies. I have long wanted to develop these and so this year I am going to include them in this blog, in association with quotes from my books. I want to focus on Jesus, more than ever this Christmas, when there are so many difficult things going on in the world. I hope that you will follow along with me, and be taken up with the myriad ways Jesus is presented in Scripture. That you will see more and more just how wonderful He is.

SERVANT

Isaiah is an Old Testament book full of prophecy, and within it’s pages are many references to the coming Messiah. These use many different names and ways of describing the coming Saviour. The one I want to focus on today on mentioned in Isaiah 42:1, and echoed in Is 43:10 and Isa 49 : 6.

Image shows the words of Isaiah 42 v 1 surrounded by a wreath of evergreen and holly berries

Through Isaiah’s prophetic words God describes the one to come as ‘My Servant’. We know this was a prophecy about Jesus as Matthew quotes it in Matt 12:18-21. Reading Isaiah 42:1-4 we can see that this Servant will carry the Spirit of God and will bring justice – a form of justice that doesn’t crush the already bruised. In Isaiah 49 : 6 it tells us He will come bringing light to the gentiles, and salvation to the ends of the earth.

Image shows the words of Isaiah 49 v 6 surrounded by a wreath of evergreen and holly berries

BOND SERVANT

In the New testament, in Phil 2:7, Paul describes Jesus as the one who came as a ‘bond servant’ – one who knows they have no rights of their own and yet are willingly submitted to obey and serve the one in authority over them. Jesus willingly left behind any rights He had as God’s Son and took the form of a servant, demonstrating this in the washing of the disciples’ feet in John 13. He came willingly submitted to God’s authority and lovingly enslaved to Him, obedient to the cross. It was His choice and God honoured Him for it ‘my elect one in whom my soul delights’ (Is 42:1).

Image shows a mans hands holding and drying another man's foot with a rag

Image courtesy of freebibleimages.org

He came as a servant in order to bring about our salvation, and in doing so Jesus gave us the supreme example. But did coming as a servant lessen His power, authority or kingship? No! That is the most amazing thing. He came as a servant, but also as a king. He showed us that true leadership requires humility, compassion and a servant heart. To those we are called to serve, and towards the One who calls us.

The Servant King shows us that we are called to be lovingly enslaved to God, and lovingly enslaved to one another.

In the areas of your life where you have authority, how can you follow Christ’s example of being a servant?

‘But kneeling to serve doesn’t lessen Father Abbot’s authority, or the respect he engenders. In fact, it does the opposite. We watch him pour himself out and we want to follow his example. He leads us with a quiet and loving authority, even disciplining us when necessary. But because we know the goodness of his heart, his inert humility, his love for his fellow man, we take the discipline and the encouragement with equal gratitude. He is being as Christ was, you see, the Servant King. He does not abuse his position of authority by lording it over us, rather he uses it to teach us a better way. The mark of a true godly leader.’

‘The Pilgrim’ pp 176-177

‘The Pilgrim‘, her second full length novel, was published by Instant Apostle on 22 July 2022

More information on Joy, and her books can be found here www.joymargetts.com

advent, Christian Writer, christmas, Connected to God, Faith, God in control, God's faithfulness

FAITHFUL IN THE WAITING

December 21, 2021December 20, 2021 joymargetts

Christmas stockings hanging on a fireplace

Well, a few days from now the wait will almost be over, and excited children will be putting out their stockings in hopeful expectation for them to be filled with goodies. For most children, I guess they have had very little to do once school is over, except to wait impatiently for Christmas.

For parents and most grown-ups, it’s a been very different scenario – frenetic being the word that comes to mind! Too much to do and too little time. It’s a very busy wait!

A KING OF DAVID’S LINE

The child whose birth we are celebrating, was born in the city of David, Bethlehem, and of David’s line. He was, as God had promised, a direct descendant of Israel’s great king.

Text of a carol...to you in David's town, this day, is born of David's line

We can learn a lot from David’s story, the lowly shepherd that became God’s chosen leader of His people. As a young boy, God had promised David he would be king, but he had to wait very many years – until he was maybe thirty years old – to see the fulfilment of that promise. In the meantime, he didn’t just sit back and wait. In the time that he was waiting for that extra-ordinary destiny to be fulfilled he continued to obediently and whole-heatedly obey God and serve others. David looked after his fathers sheep. He challenged and killed a giant. He served King Saul as court musician and as an accomplished soldier. He trained and provided for a group of mighty warriors, and served and protected his own growing family. He also wrote a whole heap of beautiful worship songs.

FAITHFUL IN THE LITTLE THINGS

Waiting well isn’t about just sitting back and letting things happen. Perhaps we are waiting for a promise from God to be fulfilled in our lives. Whilst we are waiting we need to be asking God what we can do with our time and energy. It’s about continuing to love, and serve, and being faithful in the small things.

The waiting period became a training period for David; growing and maturing him, proving his character, so that he was ready to take on the kingship he had been promised. While we are waiting, God is very likely doing the same with us; preparing us for the great things that He has destined for us to do for Him.

A BLESSED CHRISTMAS

I hope for you that the waiting for Christmas has been a blessed time this year, and that you are rejoicing already in the wonderment of the miraculous birth of our Saviour. I pray that if you are waiting for your own miracle, your yet-to-be fulfilled promise, whether it be for yourself or someone you love, that your waiting period will see you drawing even closer to the Promise Giver, who gave His very self out of love for you.

Joy Margetts is new to blogging, and new to being published. Her debut novel ‘The Healing‘ was published by Instant Apostle on 19 March 2021. A work of historic fiction, set in medieval Wales against the backdrop of Cistercian abbey life, it is also a story of faith, hope and God’s redemptive power. Joy has also self- published a short novella, ‘The Beloved‘ as both a companion to ‘The Healing‘, and as an easy to read standalone story, which is available to buy on Amazon Kindle.

‘The Pilgrim‘, her second full length novel, will be published by Instant Apostle in July 2022

More information on Joy and her writing, and links to purchase her books can be found here www.joymargetts.com

advent, Christian Writer, christmas

BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU SAY

December 18, 2021December 17, 2021 joymargetts

It is only one week to go until Christmas Day! Has panic set in, or are you all ready and just willing for the wait to be over? I guess for children, and those among us who are children at heart, the last few days of waiting might feel like a lifetime. For others of us we might prefer to stop the hands of the clock, to suspend the wait, as we just don’t know how we are going to get everything done before the big event arrives.

WAITING FOR THE WAIT TO BE OVER

The Christmas story is full of those who had to wait. Simeon and Anna had to wait until they were well advanced in years to see their promises from God fulfilled. Joseph and Mary had to wait to hold their promised son in their arms, and their wait would not have been easy. Bearing the shame of what appeared to be a child born out of wedlock. The fear-filled journey to Bethlehem and the lack of a room when they arrived. Not to mention the physical demands of pregnancy on a young woman’s body.

And what about Zechariah and Elizabeth, John the Baptist’s parents? Luke’s gospel tells us that the Angel Gabriel appeared to Zechariah as he was fulfilling his duties as a priest and promised that he and his wife would have the son they had prayed and longed for, even though she was past childbearing age. Understandably perhaps, Zechariah had his doubts. The Angel tells him that because of his unbelief he would be struck dumb until the child is born. Have you ever wondered why?

OUR WORDS HAVE POWER

Luke 6 v 45 tells us that ‘out of the heart, the mouth speaks’. So what comes out of our mouths is evidence of the state of our hearts. We also know that what comes out of our mouths has the power to kill or to bring life ( Proverbs 18 v 21 )

When we are waiting, in the same way as we have to be careful what we think about, we also have to be so careful what we say. Moaning or complaining is in effect speaking out a lack of trust in God to keep His promises. Speaking out of doubt or fear has the same effect. I don’t want to give the enemy power over me by agreeing with his thoughts about my situation. I have to choose to speak with faith, or not speak at all. So my ‘if God heals me’ becomes ‘when God heals me’. I come into agreement with heaven with my words and faith is released.

SAYING NOTHING

Perhaps in Zechariah’s case it was better that he said nothing, rather than speak negatively about the situation he found himself in, while waiting for the Angel’s words to be fulfilled.

And the first words on his lips when he got his voice back? A Holy Spirit inspired song of praise, and prophetic declaration. His wait had been a silent one, but I believe he had drawn closer to the heart of God during it.

‘The Pilgrim‘, her second full length novel, will be published by Instant Apostle in July 2022

More information on Joy and her writing, and links to purchase her books can be found here www.joymargetts.com