As Long As Possible
"....you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord..." (Exodus
12:14)
Do you like birthdays? I love my birthday. So much so that I don’t even mind
what the double digits are registering. Holidays are for everyone. But your
birthday is YOUR day!
There is only one of you. That is something to celebrate! My friends know how
much I love my birthday; before it ever arrives they call to arrange a lunch or
something. If I can stretch it out for a few days, that is good. The whole month
is even better!
Actually I have two birthdays. First, the day my mother gave birth to me
physically. Second, the day I was born spiritually. You might know the date
precisely, or, you might “just know”.
A conversation Nicodemus had with Jesus when he sneaked over in the cloak of
darkness, went like this: Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one
can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again. 'How can a man be born when
he is old?' Nicodemus asked. 'Surely he cannot enter a second time into his
mother's womb to be born.' Jesus answered, 'I tell you the truth, no one can
enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives
birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be
surprised at my saying, "You must be born again." The wind blows
wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from
or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.'"
(John 3:3-8)
Here’s the good news: every one of us can have two birthdays. If we believe in
our hearts, and confess with our mouths, that Jesus is Lord, we are “born a
second time”. We can celebrate that every single day of the year. And how
about this: we can celebrate as long as we live, then even longer! As long as
possible, with God - eternity and forever.
That is definitely good news.
Sally Ireland Kennedy
Sally Ireland Kennedy is the author of “52 Little Parables from Ireland”, “Words from the Heart”, and “Irish Thursdays”. She lives in south Florida, with her husband, Ben. You can visit her website at http://www.sallyikennedy.com /[Fwd Devo sub - As Long As Possible]