Ellen Chauvin | Soaked & Sprouting

Soaked in God's Word, Sprouting Seeds of Faith

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The Great Christmas Pillow Debate

December 19, 2024 by Ellen 2 Comments

The debate (or disagreement) began several years ago. It’s because of all my Christmas pillows. I have six or seven (depending on your point of view) scattered around the house (I’ve cut back this year!). One pillow stays out all year. I say it technically ISN’T a Christmas pillow. My husband disagrees.

The pillow in question? Why, it’s the one that says “Joy to the world.”

I can hear you now: “Ellen, that is a pillow to celebrate Christ’s birth, Christmas.”

No. No, it isn’t. 

English minister Issac Watts wrote this hymn based on Psalm 98. It was not written as a Christmas carol, as the lyrics don’t reflect Jesus’ virgin birth, but His second coming.

Joy to the world! the Lord is come;

Let earth receive her King;

Let every heart prepare him room,

And heaven and nature sing,

And heaven and nature sing,

And heaven, and heaven, and nature sing.

Joy to the world! the Saviour reigns;

Let men their songs employ;

While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains

Repeat the sounding joy,

Repeat the sounding joy,

Repeat, repeat the sounding joy.

 

He rules the world with truth and grace,

And makes the nations prove

The glories of His righteousness,

And wonders of His love,

And wonders of His love,

And wonders, wonders, of His love.

What if our joy is not for the holiday food, gifts, or sparkling lights this Christmas? What if we focus our joy on The Bread of Life, The Greatest Gift, and The Light of the World? Jesus.

And what if, as my pastor’s wife recently challenged, we have a singular focus on this one thing: Jesus is returning soon! As exiles waiting for Jesus, we can set our minds on things above. We do this by pondering how heaven and nature will sing joyfully at His coming! We focus on Jesus’ return by being in awe of the wonders of His love. We focus on Jesus’ return by ensuring our hearts prepare Him room. 

Our King is coming soon to take us home to Him. Joy! 

And yes, leave your Joy to the World pillow out all year!

Until He returns,

 

 

Want to know more about rejoicing as an exile? Grab a copy of my book, Longing to Belong-Filling the Longings of Our Hearts with the Hope of Home.

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Going Home & Coming Home: Exodus and Ezra

October 5, 2023 by Ellen 2 Comments

This month marks the tenth anniversary of this blog! Ten years! God has been so faithful to provide. To celebrate, I am playing “re-runs” of some of my favorite blogs. I hope you enjoy them – again ?

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This blog post is a “Bible Bite” – a short and tasty tidbit from God’s Word. Today, we’ll be talking about going home and coming home. Let’s begin in Exodus.

“I will grant this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and it shall be that when you go, you will not go empty-handed. But every woman shall ask of her neighbor and the woman who lives in her house, articles of silver and articles of gold, and clothing; and you will put them on your sons and daughters. Thus you will plunder the Egyptians.” Exodus 3:21-22 NASB

God knew Pharaoh wouldn’t let the Hebrew people go easily. Pharaoh wouldn’t give them anything for their journey home, either. He was a meanie! But God! He provided for His people. The material the Israelites plundered and carried out of Egypt became part of what they used to construct the tabernacle. God sent them on their way with building supplies.

I image the Egyptians were happy to provide what was needed. After all, they’d been subject to God’s plagues: Bloody water, frogs, gnats, flies, diseased livestock, boils, hail and fire, locusts, darkness and finally the unthinkable-death of the first born child in each family. Horrors! I would’ve kicked them out too! Get out! And don’t come back!

Next, we have the Israeli exiles returning from Babylon. They had been captives for 70 years. Slaves in servitude, like their forefathers in Egypt. After 70 years, God stirred the heart of King Cyrus to allow the exiles to go home and rebuild.

Jerusalem and the temple had been destroyed long ago when Nebuchadnezzar laid siege to the city and surrounding area. The Hebrew people would be freed slaves, traveling with nothing, going home to nothing. Zilch. Zero.

But God.

“‘Every survivor, at whatever place he may live, let the men of that place support him with silver and gold, with goods and cattle, together with a freewill offering for the house of God which is in Jerusalem.’ All those about them encouraged them with articles of silver, with gold, with goods, with cattle and with valuables, aside from all that was given as a freewill offering. Also King Cyrus brought out the articles of the house of the LORD, which Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and put in the house of his gods;” Ezra 1:4, 6-7 NASB

God provided, so His people could come home and rebuild His temple. Going and coming, building or rebuilding, God will provide all you need. Amen and amen!

What a beautiful story of God’s faithfulness!

 

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Torrential rains had been pelting us for weeks. With the rains came weeds growing tall in the flower beds. But I noticed other new growth, too. It wasn’t colorful flowers. It was teeny, tiny little oak trees! Squirrels had been working hard, burying food for later. The rains had soaked and softened … Read More...

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