“I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.” Acts 26:16-18 (KJV)
A time for thinking about others . . . not just thinking . . . but actions that will positively impact lives. A time for celebrating Christ’s birth . . . a time for worship. A time for focus . . . a time to restructure our priorities.
December is often thought of as a time of endings . . . cold, frigid endings. Social scientists produce some very depressing statistics concerning human reactions to the last quarter of the year. See, even I am referring to it as the “last.” But, stop and really think about this for a moment. When we think of December, what is the first thing we think about? Generally, that would be Christmas, with all its trappings.
Yet, Christmas is a time for beginning not ending. Sure, most of us are aware that Christ wasn’t actually born on December 25, 1 A.D. This date was chosen by the Church sometime in our past and Christianity has celebrated the Lord’s birth on this date ever since. The point, however, is that Christmas is about beginnings! It is the birth of the Messiah who would rescue the world from dark, hopeless endings.
So, this is a time for hope! It is a time for witnessing of this hope! This is a time for rescuing the hopeless out of their darkness, bringing them into the light! This is a time for exalting the delivering power of God! This is the time to relate God’s forgiveness of sins! This is a time to receive an inheritance among God’s people!
Somehow, in December, our faith and hope in Christ can serve to rescue others from depressive hopeless lives. We have been set free to help others get free . . . to unlock the chains that bind them. Christ was born, has died, and is resurrected for such a time as this! He has set us free for such a time as this! Knowing that Christ was born for us and is coming back for us is the light and warmth for such a time as this.
Dear Father, thank you for our hope in Christ. Encourage us with the joy of Christmas. Empower us with the hope of Christ’s return. This I pray in the name of Jesus. AMEN
Be encouraged today that Christ has rescued you,