Celebrating the Hope that has Come
December 4th | Genesis 3
Do you feel like you are already behind for Christmas? It is only the first week of December. Deep breath. This holiday can get out of hand fast. It starts simple and beautiful, with our hearts in the right place and then something happens, and we feel like we have lost control. To be fair, that is how it all began: In the garden, simple and beautiful and then something happened (specifically the woman ate some fruit) and the world is out of control; broken. Okay, there is slightly more to the story, but it is the same idea; the familiar pattern.
Fortunately, that is where Jesus comes in. Yes, He was promised all the way back in Genesis 3 to come and “crush the serpent’s head.” Jesus was already planned back when the first sin happened, when the simple beautiful world was broken. This brokenness allowed for heart ache, for pain, for things we weren’t created to endure.
I hope you don’t feel broken this Christmas. Holidays are hard, and then add the struggle of 2020 and it is even harder to have your heart in the right place to celebrate, to even smile. Thats’s ok. We weren’t meant to experience a broken world. That is why we celebrate Christmas, the coming of Hope. Jesus came to reunite the world to the God that created it. Christ coming was a fulfillment of that hope and a promise of more to come. The hope was needed back in Genesis 3 and is still needed today.
If you are feeling the burden of Christmas this year, take it off and give it to Jesus. He is the reason for the season after all. And no matter how broken life may seem, it is all the more reason to celebrate the Hope that has come.
Not Forgotten
December 11th | Genesis 12:3
When the calls get few and far between and the visits become non-existent, it’s easy to feel forgotten. After all, we’ve been stuck inside our 4 walls for most of the year. Behind closed doors many of us are feeling lost, discouraged, depressed, and forgotten. You may be wondering “does anyone care?”.
As the world celebrates the birth of Jesus this month, be reminded that we’ve always been thought of and God did not forget about you. Throughout the entire Scripture there is a thread of hope that points to the birth of Christ and the salvation he will bring. This salvation would be the only hope for our desperate situation, not just eternally but here on earth as well.
In Genesis 12 verse 3, God promises Abraham that He will use Abraham’s life to bless the entire world. See, you were never forgotten or an afterthought. There has always been a plan to bring you hope, not just for eternity but for your “right now need” as well! No matter how long it takes to manifest, He delivers on his word. The birth of Jesus reminds us of that fact.
The Unexpected Gift Wrapping
December 18th
One of the beauties of Christmas is to see all the perfectly wrapped boxes sitting under the Christmas tree with a neatly tied bow on top. We can get so caught up in admiring how the gifts are wrapped that we even hate to open them. That beautiful exterior excites us about the valuable interior. It builds out expectation. But what happens when the gift doesn’t come wrapped as expected? The paper is crumbled and thrown together. The box is dented and bent out of shape. It doesn’t meet our expectations so in our mind we question its value. Ugly outside must mean worthless inside, right?
That’s exactly how Israel felt. They were waiting for a King - someone who was going to lead them to freedom through earthly strength. However, their gift of hope was born in a stable, not a palace. He was wrapped in swaddling clothes, not the royal attire. He was born to an average or below-average family, not a family of prestige. When hope arrived, he was in unexpected wrapping. That, however, didn’t lessen His value. He was still the One who had come to rescue them and provide Salvation, not only to Israel but to all the world (Gen 12).
You see, God always delivers on His promises. However, when hope arrives for our situation, it may not look like the perfectly wrapped gift we expected. If our eyes are so focused on our situation and not on God, we can miss it when hope arrives for us. Let the humble arrival of our Savior be a reminder that God will come through in our situation but it may be in unexpected ways. That is why it is key, especially during the difficulty of life, to always keep your eyes focused on Him and expect Him to move in unexpected ways.
Hopeful Expectations
December 25th | Luke 2:25-38
This holiday, expectations are at an all time low. I know mine are. It is hard when everything is canceled: no performances by our children, no parties for every single organization, even shopping isn’t fun with masks covering our faces. I doubt anyone will be dropping by our home for hot cocoa and get to enjoy the festive decorations. Despite how this year will be different, our expectations shouldn’t dwindle if those expectations are on the right person. No, not Santa. Really?! Jesus.
His arrival was long expected. Like all the way from the beginning, long. Those who were looking knew He would come. They never lowered their expectations. God is faithful, and if He promises, He will provide. Period. Now it may not be as you were imagining, and probably not when you planned, but provided none the less. Look at Simeon and Ana, in Luke 2:25-38. They were expectant. All their lives waiting to see the Messiah God had promised. They spent their days looking for the Christ to come. They did not miss the moment Jesus was brought to the temple to be consecrated as an infant. Oh how they rejoiced when God’s promise was fulfilled.
Are you expectant of God to work in you this Christmas? So often we gloss over the familiar story, and sayings. We have tuned out the opportunities to see Jesus in the season. Challenge yourself to be expectant of God to work in you this unique Christmas season with less of the typical distractions. Be looking for Him. Don’t miss the moment Jesus shows up, because He will. He always does.