Merry Christmas
Christmas is the season of hope!
Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 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. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” Luke 2:8-12 (NKJV)
Christmas is the season of hope.
Real hope! Not a wishful longing but a confident expectation, sure of fulfillment. Christmas is the certain knowledge that, in a dim stable in an insignificant little village, the light of the universe exploded into our world. With the birth of that one small child, God put skin on. He came to do for us what we could never do for ourselves. To show us what God is truly like: infinitely powerful yet inexpressibly kind, wise and joyful. And He loves us! Not only in the easy ways, but also in the hard moments. Even at great personal cost, His love made a way for us to become a part of His forever family.
We at Northlands hope that you are celebrating this day with family and friends, people who know and care about you. But if not—if you are separated because of distance or other reasons—well, Jesus knows what that’s like. After all, He went a very long way from His home to be with us.
There’s room for all of us at His table. He is looking expectantly for each of us, and the day will come when we’re all hanging out together, celebrating at the biggest party the world has ever seen. In the meantime, we get to comfort, celebrate and connect with one another. We get to enjoy the wonderful presence of the Holy Spirit, with us and within us. And we get to know the God-kind of hope: the certainty that God sees us, He knows us and He will be there with us, every time, no matter what.
For now, Merry Christmas!
Prayer
Lord Jesus, I am so glad that You came to my home. Because of that, now I can come to Your home, and You have made it our home. Thank you for your inexpressible gift!
