I see divine fingerprints on the fact that Mary and Joseph returned “home” to Bethlehem that very first Christmas (Luke 2:4-7). In every season, and most especially at Christmas time, it is the Lord’s heart to bring families together again!
The Most Glorious Blessing of All
“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given… And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isa. 9:6, NKJV)
There’s something so special to the Lord about families, as Scripture reveals from beginning to end. The first thing God told Adam and Eve after creating and blessing them was that they were to be fruitful and multiply—to begin building a family—and the last verses of the Old Testament speak of God’s desire to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and of the children to their fathers (Gen. 1:28; Mal. 4:5-6).
The New Testament reinforces the special place family holds in God’s heart. The opening verses of Matthew contain the record of Jesus’ family tree, and the closing chapters of Revelation prophesy that the bride of Christ will have made herself ready for her beloved. It’s incredibly significant that our Lord chose to model the relationship of the church to her Redeemer upon the very foundation of family—the sacred covenant of marriage between one man and one woman (Gen. 2:24; Matt. 1:1-17; Rev. 19:7-9, 21:9).
Of all the myriad of ways that Jesus could have come to earth, He came to be born as a child, to Mary and Joseph, a young family of ordinary and modest means—just like so many families before them and since. What an incredible honor was bestowed on this family, chosen to receive the most glorious Christmas special blessing of all!
Three Christmas Blessings
The Lord has been showing me He especially wants to bless families at Christmas this year. I was given a series of dreams, the clear theme of which was the family. In the first dream, a glossy red credit card was extended from heaven towards me. Stamped on the front in large flowing gold script were the words: “LAKE FAMILY.” I then heard, “The Lord wants to meet (take care of) the needs of your family.”
If your family is anything like ours, we love giving generously at Christmas time. I always ask my kids for a list so we can give them exactly what they want. In much the same way, your Heavenly Father wants to give your family exactly what you ask for! He already knows what you need or want, but He still wants you to ask. I believe your family has their own card, much like the one I saw, but with your family’s name on it. Just imagine—a credit card for your family’s needs—with heaven’s infinite credit limit! (Matt. 6:8, 7:7-11; Eph. 3:20; Phil. 4:19)
A second dream showed a family all sharing the same phone charging cord. This meant something to me, with the backstory being that all my kids are adults who live far away (one even half-way around the world), so it’s a really big deal when they’re home. They all freely use the charging station at my desk as if it were their own—it’s really handy to the main living areas, and none of them ever asks! Sometimes I’ll go to charge my phone and see the charger’s already in use. I just smile. Far from irritated, I’m more than happy to wait or find a charger someplace else. I’m just so glad they’re home, and I love how free they feel to use things like that around the house!
Just as the Father wants you to specifically ask for the needs of your family, He also wants you to feel free to take what you want when you need it. Both are blessings unique to family. He wants you to ask, but He also doesn’t want you to ask—it’s like two sides of a coin—a divine paradox, yet true! This Christmas the Heavenly Father wants you, His faithful child, to stir your faith and lay hold of whatever you need—without hesitation or doubt—simply because you belong to the family of God! (Matt. 21:21; Rom 8:14-17)
In the third and final dream, I saw extra drinking glasses by the kitchen sink. Again, this had special meaning to me. It’s the practice in our family to rinse our glasses after each use, and then set them by the sink until the dishwasher is run. Extra glasses by the kitchen sink mean that my children are home!
The Lord showed me that His heart this Christmas is to bring your family “home.” This could be in either a figurative or literal sense. It could mean that prodigal you’ve been praying for returns to the Lord, or that strained (or estranged) relationship finally gets repaired. It could even be that that child (children/family member) who has longed to move back to home territory finally gets the chance!
I see divine fingerprints on the fact that Mary and Joseph returned “home” to Bethlehem that very first Christmas (Luke 2:4-7). In every season, and most especially at Christmas time, it is the Lord’s heart to bring families together again!
Through Your Family Other Families Will Be Blessed!
In my word for the decade of 2020, I wrote how I felt the Lord showed me His desire is for a return to character and family values. It’s like everything we know today about the state of the family you can find out in the bathroom. The fact that men and boys are allowed to share locker rooms and restrooms with women and girls shows how far away from traditional family values the current culture has swung.
If family values are to be restored to our nation, the Lord must first do a work in families in the body of Christ. As the first institution He ever ordained, family is the building block of society. If the family unit is in disarray it will affect every other cultural arena (Gen. 2:24; 1 Pet. 4:17).
I believe God has a Christmas special blessing for families this year. Much like when the Lord blessed our spiritual father Abraham, He wants to especially bless your family so that through your family other families can be blessed! (Gen. 12:2-3; Deut. 28:1-14; Gal. 3:29; 1 Pet. 2:9)
MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE!
Posted on The Elijah List.
Diane is a writer, speaker and minister ordained with both Christian International and Generals International. Her articles are regularly featured on The Elijah List, as well as platforms like Charisma Magazine, Charisma News, Intercessors For America and others. She and her husband, Allen, co-founded Starfire Ministries with a vision to see the kingdom established beyond the four walls of the traditional church. They host a podcast with Charisma Podcast Network, and serve as Church Mountain, Regional, and Montana Coordinators for the Reformation Prayer Network, and as Media Mountain Leader/Facilitators for C.I.’s Culture Influencers.
