Hoping you have a wonderful Christmas!
And suddenly there was with the angel ha
multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the
highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” (Luke 2:13-14 ESV).
Remember that our empty chairs now will be filled in that glorious day when Jesus comes again to make everything right!
For God so loved the world, that he gave his
only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order
that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not
condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has
not believed in the name of the only Son of God. (John 3:16-18 ESV).
The Bible also clarifies that Jesus’
death and resurrection was the great act of love (John 3:16). This helps us see
that love is sacrificial. I have seen it explained that, Love, whether used
of God or man, is an earnest and anxious desire for and an active and
beneficent interest in the well-being of the one loved. The Apostle Paul describes
the attributes we pursue when we love someone (cf. 1 Corinthians 13). None of
these attributes are easy things to practice, which means that we need God’s
help to live them out. In fact, God must teach us how to love: before becoming
Christians, we were dead in our sins (Ephesians 3:1), and we still struggle to
do anything that is not self-centered.
Therefore, we know that love ultimately
is about living a life centered on God. We can share and express God’s love in
many tangible ways in our lives, especially around the Christmas season. Simple
gestures, like a kind note, a phone call, or a hot meal, can encourage those
around us who may be lonely this time of year. We can demonstrate this love by
volunteering our time or resources to a local shelter, food bank, or toy drive
to bless those in need. Another way to show God’s love is to pray for those
around us regularly. By seeking ways to love and care for others, we embody the
spirit of Advent love, reflecting Christ’s example in our daily lives. Accept
and give the greatest gift this year… the love of god in Christ Jesus!
And in the same region there were shepherds out
in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord
appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were
filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I
bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you
is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this
will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and
lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the
heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on
earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” (Luke 2:8-14 ESV).
That nature brings me to the thought of
embracing joy at this time of the year. We do need to recognize the profound
difference between fleeting happiness and enduring joy. While happiness usually
describes a feeling based on external circumstances, joy is a deeper, more
resilient state rooted in faith and the assurance of God’s presence, regardless
of what’s happening around us. Real joy, Advent joy, should remind us that true
joy is found in the promises and coming of Christ. This lasting joy provides
comfort and strength even in times of struggle. James described this reality:
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of
many kinds” (James 1:2). Now, that’s a different perspective than how we tend
to think about joy and happiness. Biblical joy is not just a feeling but a
practice.
Examine the gift of grace in your life. Then
let it turn your mind toward joy!
[Jesus said] “These things I have spoken to you while I
am still with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send
in my name, will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I
have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the
world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them
be afraid. You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I will come to you.’
If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for
the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you before it takes place, so
that when it does take place you may believe.” (John 14:25-29 ESV).
God gives us the gift
of peace as we draw close and rely on him. The Apostle Paul wrote: “Do not
be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with
thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which
transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ
Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).
Here we are a day that ought
to be filled with such peace. However, your day may have just started and your
thoughts are already beginning to race with anxiety; or, perhaps it's the
middle of the night and you're struggling to find rest, whatever season of
difficulty you're facing, the enemy is attacking your peace of mind. In those
overwhelming moments, as your mind fills with fear, the best place to turn for
comfort is an intimate relationship with God through prayer. We are not meant
to try to control and fix everything that worries us. We were created to rest
in God's love! We cannot always control the things that rob us of peace of
mind, but we can control how we respond. This Advent season, consider placing
particular emphasis on praying, meditating, and reflecting on Scripture to
embrace God’s peace. We can also cultivate this Advent peace throughout the
year as we worship God in our daily lives, acknowledging our total reliance on
God for our needs.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a
living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an
inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for
you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready
to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little
while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials. (1 Peter 1:3-6 ESV).
I understand hope can feel elusive for
many this time of the year. When we find ourselves immersed in the challenges
of difficulty, it is difficult to be hopeful. But for Christians, hope is not
merely a fervent wish that things will get better; instead, it is a profound
assurance rooted in faith: “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and
assurance about what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1). This Advent hope is
anchored in the promise of Christ's coming—not only for Christmas, the
celebration of Jesus’ first coming but for us who wait in anticipation of his
second coming.
Hope rooted in faith inspires believers
to look beyond our immediate circumstances and trust God's faithfulness to his
promises. During this time of the year, we may embrace this hope by recognizing
what God has accomplished through the gift of Jesus. Through this miraculous
birth we were given the grace of God bringing us redemption and eternal life. Death
has no power over us as it has been forever defeated. The curse of the ages has
been lifted to give us the hope of life!
Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will
pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass
away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes,
the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought
like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish
ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in
part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. So now faith,
hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:8-13
ESV).
Of course, there are many other things
about her personality and character that convinced me beyond any doubt that she
was the one for me that first moment I met her. And, perhaps it is this complex
mixture of all these things that made it so easy to understand the will and
purpose of God in our lives then. That certainly is true today.
It is that truth that brings me to our
reading today. The Apostle Paul defines love in such a clear and complete way
in these verses. The most impactful of these descriptions is the enduring
nature of love. Even when we compare faith and hope to love, love is the clear
greatest of the three. That has been the sustaining fact in our relationship.
It has always been the north star that guided us through the many experiences
of life. I am so thankful for these years and look forward to many more.
Our prayer is always that you will find
that same relationship in your life. God bless you all… thank you, Mary for
saying yes!
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a
joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with
thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! For the
Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the
depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. The sea is his,
for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. (Psalm 95:1-5 ESV).
I was thinking about this dynamic as I looked
over the lyrics of the last of the carols we will use this year for our
devotionals. It is a beloved favorite of many, “O Come All Ye Faithful.” This
song recounts the birthday of Jesus Christ. At His birth, a “party” broke out
near the manger. Of course, Mary and Joseph were there, but soon others began
to make their way to the gathering. God the Father went out of His way to
invite a two very different and unlikely groups to attend the party - shepherds
and Magi (cf. Luke 2:8-20, and Matthew 2:1-12). The shepherds represented
common Jewish people - a class of citizens that would normally never have been
invited to a religious ceremony or royal birth. The Magi were Gentiles from a faraway
land who would have had no expectation of inclusion in the plans of the God of Israel.
Yet, at Jesus’ birth, God sends an angelic invite to the shepherds and a starry
message to the Magi inviting them to come.
When the invitation is issued, the
shepherds and Magi have a choice. Both groups move toward the manger. Both
groups decide that they cannot miss the opportunity to be included in this
special moment. As a result, both are incredibly blessed. They were not able on
their own, but by God’s grace, they find their stories find meaning in Christ. Now,
I want you to think about your own life for a moment. By virtue of you reading
this devotional, knowing these songs, reading the Christmas story, you have
received an invitation from your Heavenly Father. An invite to come to Jesus
and find your hope in Him.
This invitation from God is not based on
our performance but on His grace. It is sinful
people like you and me, like the
shepherds and wise men, who get the invite to come to Jesus and find our hope
and forgiveness and life in Him. God desires that we open this invitation by
faith and trust in Jesus as the Son of God who takes away the penalty of our
sins through His death on the cross. Have you placed your faith in Jesus? If
not, hear the words of today’s song as an invite from God to come and adore Him
and place your faith in Jesus.
