"The Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Emmanuel, which means God with us." Isaiah 7:14
Christmas means we should have confidence in God! This year, read the Christmas story out loud with your family, especially, children or grandchildren. The story is in the second chapter of Luke or the first and second chapters of Matthew.
The Christmas story gives us confidence that God did, and does, break into history and into human lives in transforming ways. Think about it: Mary was young. Elizabeth was old. Zechariah doubted. Joseph wanted to make the whole thing go away and get on with his life. King Herod hoped it wasn't true. But, in the midst of all of that human drama, God was determined to make Christmas with us. That's the first and best part of our confidence, God is determined to be with us! It should give you a smile to know that God is exerting God's self to be with you.
The truth is, we are nobody, really, that God should want to be with us. But, God does want to be with us! Jesus' birth tells the whole story. And because God wants to be with you, now you can be sure that you have real worth. Because of my worth in God, now I have real confidence, a confidence that endures through the changes of life; a worth that the world can neither give or take away. You can have Christmas every day of the year when you finally realize that.
Christmas means we should have confidence in God! This year, read the Christmas story out loud with your family, especially, children or grandchildren. The story is in the second chapter of Luke or the first and second chapters of Matthew.
The Christmas story gives us confidence that God did, and does, break into history and into human lives in transforming ways. Think about it: Mary was young. Elizabeth was old. Zechariah doubted. Joseph wanted to make the whole thing go away and get on with his life. King Herod hoped it wasn't true. But, in the midst of all of that human drama, God was determined to make Christmas with us. That's the first and best part of our confidence, God is determined to be with us! It should give you a smile to know that God is exerting God's self to be with you.
The truth is, we are nobody, really, that God should want to be with us. But, God does want to be with us! Jesus' birth tells the whole story. And because God wants to be with you, now you can be sure that you have real worth. Because of my worth in God, now I have real confidence, a confidence that endures through the changes of life; a worth that the world can neither give or take away. You can have Christmas every day of the year when you finally realize that.
