We must learn to measure ourselves, not by our knowledge about God, not by our gifts and responsibilities in the church, but by how we pray and what goes on in our hearts. Many of us, I suspect, have no idea how impoverished we are at this level. Let us ask the Lord to show us.

God's wisdom is not, and never was, pledged to keep a fallen world happy, or to make ungodliness comfortable.

Moreover, the whole purpose of God's mighty acts is to bring man to know Him by faith; and Scripture knows no foundation for faith but the spoken word of God, inviting our trust in Him on the basis of what He has done for us.

The Christmas spirit does not shine out in the Christian snob. For the Christmas spirit is the spirit of those who, like their Master, live their whole lives on the principle of making themselves poor -- spending and being spent -- to enrich their fellow humans, giving time, trouble, care and concern, to do good to others -- and not just their own friends -- in whatever way there seems need.

Ease and luxury, such as our affluence brings today, do not make for maturity; hardship and struggle however do.

Maturity is a compound of wisdom, goodwill, resilience, and creativity.

There is tremendous relief in knowing that His love to me is based at every point on prior knowledge of the worst about me.