I find it hard to believe that Christmas time is once again upon us. As
I’m writing these words, we’re still unpacking decorations, planning
the menu for Christmas dinner, and thinking about gift ideas for family.
When I was a child, I remember being on my best behavior at Christmas
time. I wish I could say it was because I simply wanted to be a good boy,
but I knew that Santa Claus was watching me. If I wanted that special toy
from the Sears & Roebuck “Wish Book” catalog, I had better be on my best
behavior. After all, the song says that Santa Claus “sees you when you’re
sleeping, He knows when you’re awake, He knows if you’ve been bad or
good, so be good for goodness sake”.
These days, Santa must need more help keeping track of all the boys and
girls in the world. A few years ago, like many of you, we welcomed an “elf
on the shelf” to our home. He showed up the day after Thanksgiving and sat
quiet and still on a bookcase, table, or sometimes the Christmas tree. We
even got to name him … our elf is called Hermie. He watched our family to
make sure we behaved and when we went to sleep, Hermie flew away to the
North Pole and reported everything he had seen to Santa. Before we woke up
the next morning, we discovered that he had flown back and found a new
perch in the house. This continued until Christmas was over. Hermie then
returned to Santa’s workshop until the next Christmas season.
Grown-ups might not worry too much about Santa Claus or elves watching
what we do. After all, if we don’t receive what we want for Christmas, we
can just go buy it ourselves. For some people, it doesn’t matter if they
pout, cry, and shout. If they don’t get that gift that they think they
deserve, they’ll find some other way to satisfy their desires. But we
would be wise to remember that somebody is watching us. No, it’s not a
white-bearded man in a miniature sleigh or a tiny elf on a shelf dressed in
red and green. The Bible tells us that God watches us from heaven, and not
just during Christmas but all year long. The Scriptures teach that the
Lord is “omniscient”. That word means that He sees everything that
happens. Nothing is hidden from Him. Now, if we’re being disobedient,
that ought to encourage us to be obedient. But for the Christian who loves
God and seeks to please Him, it’s a comforting thought. Psalm 121:3 says,
“He who watches over you will not slumber” (NIV). We’re never out of his
sight. What a blessing.
God Bless You & Merry Christmas
Bro. Joe.
Pastor Joe Wiggins 