THERE IS A LOT TO DO!

 

We spend so much time getting ready for Christmas. The older I get the longer it takes to get ready. THERE IS SO MUCH TO DO! We have the Christmas tree up, we have most, but not all the decorations up. It will probably take another week or so to get them all up. I really don't have a problem with it taking a while. The big debate is how long will they stay up.  

As I was thinking about the promise of HOPE at Christmas, I was thinking about how long it took. It was nearly 700 years between when Isaiah prophesied about the coming of John and Jesus. I am not patient for even a week, I am sure I would have given up if I was asked to wait 700 years. But listen to this message to the PROPHET ISAIAH!

"'Comfort, comfort my people,' says your God, 'Speak tenderly to Jerusalem. Tell her that sad days are gone and her sins are pardoned. Yes, the Lord has punished her twice over for all her sins,' Listen! It's the voice of someone shouting, 'Clear the way through the wilderness for the Lord! Make a straight highway through the wasteland for our God! Fill in the valleys, and level the mountains and hills. Straighten the curves, and smooth out the rough places. Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all the people will see it together The Lord has spoken!'" (Isaiah 40:1-5, NLT)

God had punished Israel for over 600 years, through exile, ruthless rulers, defilement of the Temple, and countless hardships. God's special people ignored the Lord for so long and the consequences were devastating. But, THE LORD was about to do the unthinkable. He was about to come down to live with his people. He was ready to sacrifice himself for their many sins. The event would change all the world and John came to announce the start of such a glorious happening! He had not forgotten them and his promise remained TRUE!

It was a long wait. But the wait was worth it!

If you ever think God has abandoned you, if you believe you have been forgotten, remember the CHRISTMAS STORY. God will never abandon or forsake us. His promises are true and he will rescue us from all inequity. I praise God for his wonderful promises. I praise God that he has a perfect plan and a part of that plan is his second return, a FINAL RESCUE from the sin and evil of this world. I praise God that when I face challenges in this life, I know HE IS WITH ME. 

Every year during this time of preparation for Christmas day, I am particularly aware of those people who are struggling during this season. I have people in my congregation who are facing uncertainty of finances, facing the unknowns of illnesses, facing loneliness, facing severed relationships, and they feel abandoned while everyone else sings merrily on their way to December 25th. My prayer for you is that you KNOW THE HOPE OF THE LORD. My prayer is that you be given the strength and determination to endure. GOD WILL NEVER LEAVE OR FORSAKE HIS PEOPLE. 

Heavenly Father, I pray relief for your faithful followers that are struggling during this time of year. I pray that you will fill them with your HOPE, your PEACE, your JOY, and your LOVE. They need you and your presence and I ask you to show up in a powerful way that they would surely know YOU are the KING of the UNIVERSE and you love them dearly. Amen!