First of all, I’d like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year! I hope and pray that the Lord will continue to guide you and bless you in your relationship with Him. He is faithful in His love for us and will never ever leave us nor forsake us. Merry Christmas!
But what a year! What a season! Is it just me or is time flying by so fast like never before? Maybe it’s because I’m getting older. But five more days and it’s Christmas! I can’t even believe it. It seems to me it was just a couple of weeks ago I was celebrating Christmas of 2017, and now not only is Christmas 2018 five days away, but a new year of 2019 is right around the corner.
Sadly, this season can be very depressing for so many of us out there, especially to those who have lost a loved one they cherish very much. It can be a sad time too if your loved one is overseas or away for military duty. But you know, in whatever season and in whatever state we find ourselves in, I thank God He is always available. We may not feel content and happy like Apostle Paul all the time, but whenever we remember the Lord and call upon His name, He is always there to help us. He will comfort us and to bring us to a place of contentment. Remember the Lord is our friend and confidant. He is a friend of a wounded heart. So if any of you out there are really having a hard time celebrating Christmas this year, don’t forget to include Him into your thoughts and into your sorrow. Really, He understands us even if our thoughts seem to wander away from being grateful to Him. When you’re in pain it’s not easy to be grateful. We don’t mean to be unthankful, we know we have a lot to be thankful for, but when you’re hurting and missing someone very much it’s not easy to be happy and grateful. So share these thoughts with the Lord and trust Him in His great love for you. The scripture tells us,
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. {Psalm 147:3}
The only way I’ve found myself healed and made whole time and time again, is through sharing my thoughts and my heart with the Lord. He comforts us in the process of our healing. That’s what I love about the Lord. Whatever pain or sorrow we’re experiencing at the moment, He knows how to bear us up on His wings and bring us through the pain. It doesn’t matter how deep it is. He knows how to go into the very depths of our soul and heal us. He knows how to reach into our spirit and touch it and heal it, and make it whole again. So I pray at this Christmas season for those that are suffering, that the Lord will bear you up on His wings and carry you through your pain, for there is nothing too hard for Him. Just please remember to talk to Him and share your thoughts and your sorrow with Him so that He can help you.
Christmas is a time for rejoicing for the wonderful birth of Jesus. Sure, December 25th might not be the exact day Jesus was born, but it doesn’t matter. If you love Him, you will want to celebrate that He came to earth so that He can have a body to offer as a sacrifice for our sins at the cross. That really is the very reason why Christmas is such a special day. It is every bit wonderful that Christmas Day happened. Without Jesus where would we all be? What hope will we have? Truly the day of Jesus’ birth is the day love was born in the world. I suppose there was love that existed from Adam and Eve until the time of Jesus’ birth, but really how much of it was really tangible? When God revealed Himself to the children of Israel in the time of Moses in the wilderness, no one really understood God’s love for them. All they saw was how far they were from Him when it came to the holiness of God. They couldn’t come near to God. No one was good enough. God was behind the veil, inaccessible. Only the High Priest or Moses could come near to Him. For many years only the priests or a prophet of God had access to Him. Everyone else was basically on their own. That’s why the birth of Jesus was such a wonderful gift God has given to mankind, because today we have access to Him directly. No more high priests or Moses or a prophet, or even your pastor or your evangelist or Rabbi has exclusive access to God. Everyone, young and old, rich or poor, educated and uneducated, from every race and creed can boldly come before Him. It doesn’t matter what country or ancestry you are from, or the language you speak, Jesus – God – is available for you to be your Friend and your Savior and your God. He is everything you will ever-ever need in this life. That’s why I love Him so much, because He is no respecter of persons, esteeming one above the other based on their stature or position. As long as we dare ourselves enough to believe that He loves us very much and cares about us very much, and talk to Him all the time from our hearts, we’re included in His circle of friends. You don’t need anything else but to be yourself with Him and to talk to Him. He brings you up nearer to Him, to heavenly places with Him and makes you close friends with Him. You can make requests and petitions to Him like He’s Your very best and most intimate friend in the world. Even more, you are His child that he loves. He is such an amazing and awesome God. He is such a wonderful Friend and Father. I love Him so much.
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. {Isaiah 9:6}
Prayer
Oh Father I thank You for Your great and awesome love for us. I thank You for coming down to us through Your precious Son, Jesus Christ to give us Your body as an offering for our sins, so that if we believe in You we will not perish but have everlasting life. Thank You so much Lord Jesus for Your wonderful birth and wonderful gift of love at the manger. Your birth gives us hope and life today in this world. We would be so lost without You.
Father, I pray Savior for Your continued grace and blessings upon Your world today. Father, I pray that at this Christmas season You would draw everyone to remember to talk to You and to share with You their thoughts, their worries, their concerns, their desires and even their sorrow and pain. You are ever our Friend in any season. Bless those that are hurting and in pain today Father, lift them up and strengthen them to face the days ahead. Lighten up their burden and their sorrow. Lighten up their hearts today. I pray for Your light and love to show the way, Your hope and Your peace to come and dwell in our lives today. In Your most wonderful and precious name, Jesus, I pray. Thank You Father. Amen.
