A Weary World Rejoices

Merry Christmas friends!

I am praying wherever you are today, it is filled with joy. Today is a day marked by magnified hope. Today is a day where the light pierces the darkness. Today is a day of the expected fulfillment of a promise. Today is a day of anticipation with expectant hands. Today is a day that changed everything for us. Today is a day of good news of great joy, a time to rejoice and celebrate, that Christ is born.

The Christmas story is perhaps the greatest story ever told. God became flesh in Jesus, being born of a virgin in a manger. God sent His one and only Son to be with us. The promise was fulfilled with the birth of Christ, marking our invitation to salvation and restoration, only found in Jesus, so that we may believe and have life in His name. The light of the world was finally here in the midst of a world filled with darkness. This is good news for us today, and every other day for which we get to dwell in the richness of His presence.

The Christmas season is marked by light and darkness. Darkness, the brokenness for which we live in and the desperation for which our hearts cry out, and light, the very radiance of who Jesus is.

I recently had this image in my mind as winter has come, and the nights seem longer as night skies come earlier. In winter much of our time is spent in darkness. Yet, in the midst of darkness, light is maginified all the more. I have this image of a room being completely dark, while a candle burns brightly. This light draws us in. Despite the entire space being filled with darkness, the light, though it is small, overcomes the darkness. The presence of the light is far greater than the magnitude of the darkness. This image enchoes the Christmas story. Our inclination in our very nature is to be drawn to darkness in our own ways. Yet, His grace is greater, His light is greater. When we are in Him, we have the light of the world, Jesus, who forever overcomes the darkness. What good news!

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. That light shines in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome it.....The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world." John 1:1-9

Christmas is a story of light. It is a true story for which the true light, Jesus, gives life, and in Him, we become bearers of light. His goodness radiates all the more in the darkness. This is good news, this is the gospel, that our dark souls desperately need the salvation and light of Jesus, for which in our death in darkness, we actually find new life in Him, being restored back to Him. He is the most precious gift we could receive, and it's by His grace that we get to taste and see that He is good.

Reading the Christmas story in Luke, this scripture magnified all the more...

"But Mary was treasuring up all these things in her heart and meditating on them." Luke 2:19

A holy moment had just occurred, our Savior had been born. The awaited promise had been fulfilled. Mary was present in this holy moment, in awe and wonder, meditating on what had just happened. She was storing these things in her heart. The amazing thing about storing something, is that it can be drawn upon. In remembering, you can look back to what was stored. Mary stored the treasure of the awe and wonder she experienced in this holy moment. My prayer is the we would never grow weary or numb to the awe and wonder experienced in the holiness of God through the Christmas story.

A later invitation of Jesus is this, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30

The season of Christmas can be filled with both great sorrow and great joy, one of suffering or one of hope. I'm not sure where you find yourself this Christmas, but I pray that you would have a softened heart to take Jesus up on this invitation. Come to Him, wherever you are, whoever you are. He wants a relationship with you and is awaiting with open hands and open arms. Our burdened souls can find true freedom and life in the light burden of Jesus because that is who He is, the true light of the world. Find new life in Him this Christmas season.

Some of my most favorite things during Christmastime are the trees, traditions, cookies, carols, movies, pajamas, cards, and gatherings, all of which are things to find great joy in and all contribute to the very magic and coziness of the season. May we also remember as Mary did and store up our treasures in rooting our joy and hope first in Jesus, the promised light of the world. Famously said in O Holy Night, the lyrics are written "A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices." Let's spend today and every other day walking in constant awe and wonder of what the Lord has done.

Wishing you a very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Until next time,

Em