Joy

"And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.'" (Luke 2:9-10 NKJ)

Don’t you just love Christmas? The joyful news of Christmas hope that permeates this season is exhilarating. The Christmas spirit with family and friends, fun and fellowship. And the beautiful decorations and festive atmosphere. The happy glow of expectation on children’s faces. Satisfying goodies. It truly is “the most wonderful time of the year.”

Some families, however, will have a particularly difficult holiday season this year because it will be the first Christmas without a precious member of the family. The absence seems more pronounced, the pain deeper at a holiday.

Healing a broken heart and caring for a wounded spirit takes time. Restoration to health is not like flipping a light switch. It requires more than words because a person’s feelings and emotions are involved. The psychological impact is heavy. It takes time for the hurting individual to deal with the personal issues.

We care-givers may not know what to do or say but we know the one who does. We have faith in the Living God, who arrived in a stable and surprised the world. He loves us unconditionally. He heals our broken hearts and seals our wounds. He brings good tidings of great joy!

I am always appalled by those who stumble alone through this wilderness of pain and sorrow without God’s comforting love and care. We who trust and serve him can always talk to God about the pain and sorrow.

He invites us to cast all our care on him, because he cares for us. He knows how we feel, yet he allows us to tell him what we need. Some how that helps us and God heals and seals all our sorrows. And even if we do not find the process to be easy, God is always working for our benefit. He has promised that he will never leave us nor forsake us. And he hasn’t!

The Christ of Christmas walks with us everyday of the year, spreading hope and cheer and great joy to all people. No wonder Christmas is such a wonderful time of the year!

Dear Father, thank you for the happy news and joy of Christmas. Empower us to receive the Christ of Christmas and the joy he gives. I pray this in the name of Jesus. AMEN

Share the joy of Christmas today,