"Desert Vision"

A twenty mile long circle,

And cold wind blowin’ strong,

On the desert for the remnants,

Been out there all day long.

And as the sun was settin’,

Thinkin’ ‘bout the warmth of home,

My pony on the rocky trail,

As we trotted through the gloam.

My thoughts flew back to yester-year,

To the Christmas season’s cheer,

Faces, music, laughter,

With all the family near.

Now grown and with their own kids,

Scattered near and far,

Thankful they’re all doing well,

And then I saw the star.

Shining brightly way out there,

But closer by the minute,

Reined up for a closer look,

And soon we both were in it.

A circle full of heaven’s light,

With angels in the air,

The couple and the baby,

And even shepherds there.

And just for that one moment,

I heard God’s voice above,

Proclaiming young Immanuel,

Filled with God-sent love.

And soon the vision faded,

And I was left alone,

But it moved me deeply,

To the marrow of my bone.

And soon with Dan unsaddled,

And my plate in front of me,

My wife, we bowed our heads in prayer,

Asked God to help us see,

The Lord’s plan for the season,

The star and God’s good news,

The baby in the manger,

The hallelujahs choose.

Comin’ off that old desert,

The wind still blowin’ cold,

The story of the ages,

That never will grow old.

“…because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.” (Luke 1:78-79, NIV)

When the Lord spoke to Zechariah, John the Baptist’s father, He showed him the beauty of the coming Messiah. God has always pointed to His Son as the way, the truth and the life. Wherever sin dehumanizes the human condition, God’s grace comes to heal, forgive and save. He sends His Son to accomplish it all, and from the beginning, it is His greatest revelation.

Lord, reveal Your Son to us, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Clark Kelley Price, used by permission. Thanks, Clark, and God bless you.