Hope in God's Word

Christmas is such a special time of year. People, especially children, look
forward to it. For many, it's a cherished, exciting, hopeful season. But not
everyone is delighted at the thought of Christmas. For some, the holidays are a
difficult struggle, emotionally and financially.

They need help and hope. The Bible teaches us that is exactly why Jesus
came.

What Does God Say?

"The scroll of Isaiah the prophet was handed to him. He unrolled the scroll
and found the place where this was written:

"'The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
for he has anointed me to bring Good
News to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be
released,
That the blind will see,
That the oppressed will be set
free,
And that the time of the Lord's favor has come"
(Luke
4:17-19, NLT).

What was Jesus telling us about God's purpose for sending His Son?
To
which people would this news be most wonderful?

For some, Christmas this year will not be easy--maybe because of a loss;
maybe because of bad memories; maybe because they've never really grasped the
importance of Christmas in the first place.

Perhaps Christmas has always been a time with family and friends, and that
almost never went well. Perhaps Christmas has been a time of parties that never
satisfied them. Or Christmas has been a time when they would spend money and get
gifts they didn't want. So, Christmas never has been special.

But Christmas is all about the birth of a Savior. And it's that Savior who
brings hope. And when you know Him as your Savior, you can experience hope and
peace and joy. There's no better time than Christmas to put your faith in Jesus
and change your Christmases and your future forever.

"Because of his grace he declared us righteous and gave us confidence that we
will inherit eternal life" (Titus 3:7, NLT). In Jesus there is
not just hope, there is hope that we will live forever with Him.

My Thoughts

Aren't you glad that there is a Christmas story? And that God in His love and
mercy saw fit to give His Son to die for your sins? What a sad and hopeless
world this would be without God and Jesus, Christmas and Easter and the
anticipation of heaven.

But God made known to us through His Word and His Son how He has chosen to
bless us, be with us and take care of us. The Bible is the most hopeful book in
all of creation and time because, in it, we find Jesus and the good news of hope
and life which He came to bring. It is ours for Christmas and for each day.

My Part

Take time this Christmas to go to God's Word and read again the Christmas
story--in both Matthew and Luke. Then keep reading until you get to the cross
and the empty tomb story. You will find Jesus who loves you and the hope He
brings to your life.

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