Loving Lord of All, in an isolated corner of the world, when men least expected it, in a way that no one could anticipate, You came down from Heaven to be among Your people. And on that day, Your Father proclaimed through Your birth His boundless love for humanity. Through a tiny baby, born in the town of Bethlehem, He declared He was sending us a Redeemer who would never abandon us. He assured mankind that He would never walk away when we needed Him. You are His gift and His assurance that He will always be there for us (through You) and He would always understand what we were going through (via the Holy Spirit). In a world filled with disappointments and heartache, such a message resonates deeply within my soul. After all, my greatest desire is to be loved by my Creator and have a meaningful life. Your birth gives me hope and encourages me to be the best I can for You.
Unfortunately, in the world today, there are those who feel lonely and are desperately longing for acceptance. It is that emptiness that causes men to long for You at Christmas. They need their hearts to be touched and a breath of fresh air to give them renewed life. Your birth triggers in me the realization that You care and brings forth feelings of peace and well-being. Even when everything around me points to disappointment and devastation, the miracle of Christmas turns those feelings on their head. I am filled with joy when I realize that I am unconditionally loved. There are so many wonderful names that have been given to You … Lord, Savior, Messiah, Immanuel, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Prince of Peace, etc. … and You are worthy of them all. However, none of them can appropriately capture the significance and wonder of Your coming.
The prophet Malachi called You the “sun of righteousness.” However, it is not that You are righteous; rather that You are Righteousness itself. And the light that You brought into the world can surely be described as the brilliance of the morning sun coming up over the horizon. You came to illuminate and cleanse the world of the effects of sin … bringing hope to those who are lost in darkness. Your birth is proof of God’s unconditional love and fills the hearts of men with an indescribable joy. It awakens in my inner most being a lasting feeling of value and worth. I am reminded that despite all the problems I face, my world is a wonderful place because You are in it. Despair and emptiness have been replaced by a feeling of belonging and “someone loves me at last.” And it’s in Jesus’ name I pray. AMEN!!
Luke 2:13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the Angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth to men on whom His favor rests.”