This Season Reminds Us to Say Yes to Brighter Days

December is a very special month. We are celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ at Christmas.  Advent is the prelude to this holy season of feasting and celebration.  Jesus Christ was born God.  This is going to be a very different Christmas than we have ever experienced. There are so many people without jobs, money, food, benefits, and the necessities of life.  So many people are absolutely destitute, and this has led to depression. The scripture states in Proverbs 12:25, “Anxiety in the heart of humans, causes depression but a good word makes it glad”.  It is so easy to fall into anxiety, and if you are not careful, that anxiety can lead to absolute despondency.   I want us to be mindful of having an anxious heart, particularly in these times.  We cannot overestimate the tremendous value, in a “good word” from the Lord either through a friend, a sermon, a book…but we need a good word in these times.

The Good News is, Jesus Christ has come to bear the sins of humanity.  Matthew 1:23 says that his name shall be called Immanuel, “God with us”.  Let me remind you that you are not alone.  Jesus Christ is with us in our anxiety, our challenges, our pain, our grief, our joy, our successes, …and in our good times.  The Lord is with us through it all, whatever all looks like.  This evening, you can go to bed with the assurance that God is with you. You are never alone.  You can be assured that God is not a Human that he can lie.  Rest in the knowledge and the assurance that the Lord has you, God really does have you.  “She shall bring forth a son and call his name Immanuel, God with us” and that’s good news.  That is good news that we need right now. Why not text somebody today and tell them this good news.  There is absolute satisfaction in knowing, to God be the glory, we have made it this year.  We find absolute satisfaction that the Lord has been with us… through it all, whatever all has been.  As this virus enters this vicious up-tic in numbers, pastors and influencers are trying to keep us on the “up-swing”.  So many are trying to encourage us in the midst of these challenging times.  We believe God and we trust Him.  He is the Light of the world.  We serve a God that can, yes, that can. 

Jehovah Rohi, HE is our Shepherd. El Shaddai, HE is the Almighty God.  Jehovah Jireh, our Provider.  Jehovah Shalom, HE is our peace.  This is the kind of God we serve.  God is our strength, our hope, our answer and He will give us the grace to endure the vicissitudes of life.  We give Him thanks today for His goodness and grace.  Plan on making it and succeeding.  Keep the faith and walk in hope.  Say yes to inspiration!  Say yes to your future!  Say yes to brighter days!