May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13
Isaiah 9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on
his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Peace on earth, good will to men.
On Christmas Day 1863, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow heard the
bells tolling in Cambridge and penned the poem, I Heard the Bells on Christmas
Day, later set to music by the English organist John Baptiste Calkin in 1872.
Longfellow had lost his wife to a fire and was left with six
children. His heart ached when his oldest son returned from the Civil War with
a gun shot wound. In his sorrow he sought to find hope.
I can’t imagine what life was like during the Civil War for
America, any more than I can fathom the countries who are war torn now. Longfellow’s
heart must have hurt. By 1863, He’d lost two wives, the second leaving him six
children. His son returned home wounded and nearly paralyzed. At that point he
struggled to write his poems, he was the most famous US poet at the time.
When he heard the bells ring out, he grasped on to the hope
they offered him. Hope for better and brighter days.
Christmas is a time of joy, but it can also be a time of
sorrow for many. Jesus wants us to know he came to bring peace to the hearts of
all. Isaiah proclaims Him as the Prince of Peace, the One who can take a broken
heart and restore it to fullness.
I love these glorious lines from the song:
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The Wrong shall fail, The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men.”
No matter the circumstances surrounding the holidays or any
days, God is not dead and He’s not asleep. Instead, He holds me in sorrow and
in joy. He loves me and wraps me in comfort and peace.
As you celebrate the birth of Jesus, embrace Him as the
Prince of Peace.
Casting Crowns sings a beautiful version of I Heard the
Bells.
Matthew 1:20-21 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in
a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home
as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She
will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because
he will save his people from their sins.”
Matthew 2:16
When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was
furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity
who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned
from the Magi.
Stress or celebration?
On Sunday afternoon, I went with Sara, Eli, and Ella Cate to
see the movie Journey to Bethlehem. The movie is a musical, so I wasn’t
sure what to expect. What I found was a fresh retelling of the birth of Jesus.
Yes, they took some creative liberties, but what I carried away from the movie
and thought about this week were two important messages.
King Herod was evil and so threatened by the thought of a
new king being born, he would go to the worst measure to get rid of the baby.
My heart broke for this man who, so full of pride and greed, would dive into
the depths of darkness to keep his crown.
The truth is, Jesus didn’t come to rule nations or dethrone
anyone. He came to rule the hearts of people. To spread love and offer hope. A
hope Herod never knew.
The second was the effect Mary’s pregnancy had on her family
and Joseph’s. We read of how Joseph said he would break the betrothal to Mary
quietly. Even still, Mary carried baby Jesus.
I have great respect for Joseph. Not just because he stepped
up and married Mary, but because of his faith in God. He trusted the One who
created him and carried out His plan in obedience.
When faced with a difficult circumstance or conflict, what
do I do? React like Herod and lash out? Or pray like Joseph and obey God?
As I consider the celebration of Christmas and the stress placed
on us to have everything perfect, I remember Mary and Joseph and their not so
perfect circumstances and know God doesn’t expect me to have a flawless holiday.
He only wants me to be obedient and have faith like Joseph and Mary and share
the love of Jesus.
How about you? Will Jesus’ love shine through your Christmas
celebration?
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
The times they are a-changin.’ --Bob Dylan
When my girls were young and they stayed home from school
due to illness, if they felt like it, we sometimes played games like Old Maid,
Candyland, or Go Fish. We would deal the cards or set up the board and play
until they were ready to rest.
The other day, my granddaughter called. She’d gotten sick. Fortunately, she was already off school and didn’t miss a day. We chatted for a bit, then
she asked me to hang up because she wanted to video chat on Messenger. She’s
nine and was using her mom’s phone with permission. When I answered the call, her
pretty face popped up, and I could see she didn’t feel well. We talked for a
minute, then she told me we could play a game on the phone. I had no idea. She
clicked something and brought up Go Fish and we played two rounds.
The older I get, it seems like life changes at lightning
speed. Perhaps because I can look back and see the history I’ve lived, yet one
thing has never changed.
Jesus remains the same no matter how many years pass. He
continues to share His love. There are days I think He should walk away from me
because I’m a lowly human, instead He stays with me through the valleys and the
peaks. He opens His arms and welcomes me in. He sees value in me and never
leaves me.
He loves you, too. His arms are open to everyone. He loves
like no other. He’ll be there through the best and the worst.
I love this song by Matthew West, The God Who Stays.
I hope you’ll take a listen.
