Today is Christmas Eve...the wait is over! This has to be my favorite day of the year. I love spending the day at church celebrating the birth of Jesus! After the last service, it’s family time. We will sit together in front of the tree with coffee and cocoa, open a Christmas Eve gift and reflect on the Christmas Story.
We loved spending Girls Night Out with you. It was such a sweet time together! One of the songs we sang, “O Holy Night,” reflects on the night Jesus was born. I thought it would be wonderful to take some time today and think about what that night was like. Before we do, take a moment and read Luke 2:1-20.
It was a holy night…a night like no other mankind had ever seen. It was a night filled with wonder and amazement…majesty and awe. God’s greatest gift, the long-awaited Promise, had finally arrived.
Bethlehem, a city in chaos…crowded streets…weary travelers. Mary and Joseph desperate for a place to stay, but there was no room to be found. Can you imagine the fear, frustration and panic Mary felt as the pains of labor swept in? Her mind must have been spinning with questions: Where will the baby be born? A stable? With the animals? Are you kidding me!?! The truth is God’s only Son was born in a stable surrounded by animals.
Shepherds were called. Kings were drawn. The angels proclaimed His arrival and the brightest star took its place above the town to mark the spot where He lay. A baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger…a simple trough filled with hay to hold Him. God’s only Son… the long awaited one…Jesus…born in Bethlehem. You shall call him Emmanuel – God with us. Yes. It was a holy night…it was the night of our dear Savior’s birth.
A thrill of HOPE, the weary world rejoices. On this night the world rejoiced, because the world was given JOY. On this night the world was given PEACE. On this night the world was given LOVE and, on this night, the world was given HOPE. It all came wrapped in a precious bundle…a baby who came to be our Savior…Jesus Christ the Lord! Do you remember what He was to be called? Emmanuel…God with us. Yes, it was a holy night, but it doesn’t end there. He lived. He died, and He rose to life! So, we aren’t just celebrating what was. We’re celebrating what is. Right here…right now…today! Jesus is still Emmanuel, and God is still with us!
Jesus brought JOY and PEACE to a weary world desperate for relief. Are you weary? Whatever you are yearning for find it in the Savior. He brought LOVE to a harsh world filled with indifference. Do you feel loved and valued? Find it in the Savior. He brought HOPE to a broken world desperate for healing. Have you lost hope? Find it in the Savior. He brought salvation to a world that was desperate for redemption. Do you need salvation? Find it in the Savior! He is HERE! Emmanuel, God is with us.
Let’s declare Christmas as an “O Holy Night” because Jesus is still giving HOPE… He is still giving PEACE…JOY…LOVE, and He is still the Savior of the world! Don’t miss the holiness of this night. Call on the Savior! You see all who call on Him can boldly proclaim, “He is our HOPE! He is our PEACE, and He is our SAVIOR!” Our hearts rejoice because of who HE is, what HE has done and what HE is still doing. Jesus is worthy of our praise. Never forget…He is here. Emmanuel, God is with us. Let all within us praise His holy name.
Take time to praise God for the amazing gift we have in Jesus.
Some great ways to do that would be attend a Christmas Eve service,
Sing or listen to “O Holy Night,”
Write in a gratitude journal, or
Simply pray and let God know how grateful you are.
Week Five: Hope is part of a five-week women’s devotion series written by leaders of Crossroads Women’s Ministry. To find out more about this ministry, visit crossroadsonline.org/womens-ministry.