GOD'S WORD
▬ God and Christmas ▬
December 23, 2023
My friends, today I want to talk to you about God and Christmas. Christmas can be a time of joy and celebration, but it can also be a time of stress and loneliness. We can often feel overwhelmed by the expectations of the holiday season. But when we look to God and understand His purpose, we can find peace and comfort.
I want to share a story with you that speaks to the power of God and Christmas. A few years ago, I was feeling overwhelmed and stressed out by all the demands of the holidays. I was anxious and exhausted. I knew I needed some help, so I decided to go for a drive. As I drove, I looked up at the night sky, and it
was so clear and beautiful. I felt as though I could almost reach out and touch the stars. In that moment, I felt a strong presence in the car with me and I knew it was God. Suddenly, I remembered a passage from Isaiah 9:6, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
I suddenly felt a deep sense of peace. I realized that even in the midst of all the chaos and stress of this season, God was with me. He was reminding me that His presence is always with us, no matter what. That is the power of God and Christmas.
Now I have three key ideas for you to consider in order to experience the power of God and Christmas.
First, remember that Christmas is about Jesus. We can get so caught up in all the other things that come with the holidays—gift buying, parties, lights—but it’s important to remember that Christmas is about Jesus. It’s about celebrating His birth and remembering His purpose for coming to earth.
Second, reach out to others. Christmas can be a lonely time for some people, so it’s important to reach out to those who may be feeling isolated or alone during this season. We can show them the love of God by being there for them in their time of need.
Third, remember that God is always present. Just like He was with me during my drive that night, He is always present in our lives if we open our hearts to Him.
My friends, God and Christmas go hand in hand. When we embrace His presence in our lives during this season, we can experience the true joy and peace of Christmas. So let us open our hearts to the power of God and Christmas this season—for “The greatest gift of all is love."
"Heavenly Father, You already know the pain we’ve carried, the deep wounds, the feelings of loss and heartache. You know how we’ve so often lost hope. Wondering if we’ll ever be truly free from this burden. It feels too great some days. We desperately need your healing and grace. We need your peace and our hope restored. We need to be reminded that you work on behalf of those you love, constantly, powerfully, and completely. Forgive us for trying to fix our situations all on our own. Forgive us for running in different directions and spinning our wheels to find help, when true help and healing must be found first in You. Forgive us for forgetting how much we need you, above everyone and everything else.
We come to you and bring you the places we are hurting. You see where no one else can fully see or understand. You know all the places where we need to be set free, even those we’re not aware of. We ask for your healing and grace to cover every broken place. Every wound. Every heartache. Thank you that you are able to do far more than we could ever imagine. Thank you for your mighty power that acts on behalf of your children. We reach out to you and know that you are restoring and redeeming every place of difficulty, every battle, for your greater glory. Thank you that you will never waste our pain and suffering. We love you. We need you today. I pray all of this in the name of our Lord and Savor Jesus Christ, Amen
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