O holy night, the stars are brightly shining
It is the night of our dear savior’s birth
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
Till he appeared and the soul felt its worth.

O Holy Night, verse 1

Let’s start our time together with a short exercise.  Take a moment to finish this sentence:

If only…. 

So how did you answer it?  There are myriad ways to fill in that blank, and each is unique and nuanced to your situation but surprisingly common among your fellow humans.  We share the idea that things could always be better.  Our current situation is not the end but simply a point from which things could change.  This is theological and is deeply rooted in the sinful nature of humanity. It’s a longing for wholeness that is felt to the very core of our being.  

Psalm 84:2 says, “My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.” That word “yearn” is soul-wrenching.  Whenever I read it, I feel a pulling in my chest, crying out for something more.  As we navigate life, we observe so many loveless actions, and in our depths, our soul cries out for the living God.  We want something or someone to love in such a powerful way that it brings us to life and fulfills our hopes.

The unmatchable love of God does this.  As that baby is born in the straw, it signals that the time of “pining,”  the time of “yearning,” is over.  The soul felt its worth in the advent of Jesus.  The Apostle Paul drives this home by saying, “For as in Adam all die, so in Christ, all will be made alive.”

Our souls are infinitely valuable to God; Jesus’ incarnation, death, and resurrection prove that.  He has proven repeatedly that he will do whatever it takes to help your soul feel its worth.

Scripture References

Psalm 84:2 1 Corinthians 15:22

Action Step

Bring your “If only…” to God today. Make time to let your soul rest in the truth that Jesus’ birth brings life-giving love.

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Today, we light the Candle of Love. God is love, and He loves us completely; flaws and imperfections included.  We need not do anything to earn this love; we need only to accept it! How can we know this for sure?  Christmas and Easter are proof, both occasions perfectly complementing one another to reinforce God’s perfect love for us and His desire for us to enter into a personal relationship with him for all of eternity.  

This week we will continue to focus on love as we explore the lyrics of the classic Christmas hymn, Oh, Holy Night.  We will delve into many aspects of love this week: God’s love for us, our love for God, and our love for one another. 

For added context, the lyrics for were penned during mid-18th-century France.  After it was created by a poet and a Jewish musician, it was banned in France.  Nonetheless, against all odds, the song made its way overseas where an American abolitionist was a vessel of new life for the controversial hymn. He was particularly taken by the 3rd verse which proclaims equality among humans and chains breaking. As such, due to his efforts and the previously noted notoriety of the hymn, it was revived and sung throughout the world on Christmas Eve. 

Scripture References

Luke 2:7-16;  Matthew 2:1-12; 1 John 4:7

Action Step

Today, open your bible or click here and locate the scriptures above.  As you read, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal what God would like you to to know about Him and His character as written in those Scriptures.  Praise Him for what He reveals and that the Holy Spirit revealed it to you!

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Now to the Lord sing praises,
all you within this place,
and in true love and fellowship
each other now embrace;
this holy tide of Christmas
is filled with heav’nly grace.

God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen verse 4

Pause. Prayerfully and slowly reread those verse lyrics one more time. When I read this for the first time, I needed to read the lyrics again because of the depths of what is being sung here. Taking the time to break this down, we see this beautiful call to love God and love others. I love this!

Christmas brings us many opportunities to love God and love others. However, it can be easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of Christmas. Our to-do lists seem to get bigger every year. We are pulled in a million directions, school functions, shopping, baking, family get-togethers, church gatherings… it can be quite overwhelming and honestly lacking peace. Ironically enough during the Christmas season, a season meant to love God and love others as we celebrate love coming down to earth in the form of a baby, it can actually be quite hard to love God and love others well.

 I often remind myself that it’s ok to say no. It’s in saying no that I can give my best yes. I practice the pause before I commit to something. I pray and ask God “is this something you are calling me to?” as I prayerfully make sure I have a margin for this. It’s in the honest surrender of our time to what God is calling us to that we can love God and love others most effectively and well. Operating from a healthy place, that is out of an overflow and is Holy Spirit-led.  

Scripture References

Psalm 90:12, Proverbs 3:5-6, Matthew 22:36-40

Action Step

Take an honest look at your schedule. Are you over-committed? Ask God to give you a heart of wisdom as you trust Him to direct your path.

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From God our heav’nly Father
a blessed angel came
and unto certain shepherds
brought tidings of the same,
how that in Bethlehem was born
the son of God by name. 

God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen, verse 2

If one compiled a Luke 2:1-20 highlight reel to a rhyme scheme and catchy melody, we would have today’s verse.  It chronicles when an angel appeared to the shepherds, but this vision follows several other visions and is incredibly important. 

Previously, angels appeared to Mary and Joseph to foretell the virgin birth.  Although they believed and answered the call to usher the Messiah into the world, it was the shepherds who confirmed the callings, both theirs and of the newborn baby laying in the manger.  Take a minute to read Luke’s account above to see what I mean.

Until then, Mary and Joseph acted in faith based upon what their angels had revealed, but now they received outside confirmation as well…and from shepherds no less.  King David, from whom the Messiah is descended from, was also a shepherd called in from the fields at one time (so that he could be anointed King).  All throughout scripture we see our God using His people, as unlikely as they may be, to advance His plans and purposes. 

I find an amazing peace in knowing God can use anyone at any time.  Maybe it’s a brother or sister in Christ coming to my rescue or perhaps God will use me to do the same for someone else.  Perhaps those He has placed in my path will provide confirmation of His calling on my life, or perhaps I can be fortunate enough to provide that discerning confirmation to another. 

However our lives unfold or how God uses us, we can have a peace knowing He has it all under control, just like the night in Bethlehem two thousand years ago.  He’s got this.

Scripture Reference

1 Peter 4:10; 2 Corinthians 12:9a

Action Step

Today, tell God you are willing for Him to use you to advance His purposes and His plans.  Then, today and moving forward, keep your eyes and heart open to where you can join God in His work.

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God rest ye merry gentlemen
Let nothing you dismay
Remember Christ our savior 
was born on Christmas Day
To save us us all from Satan’s power 
when we were gone astray.

God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen, verse 1

Gas prices are rising. Let nothing you dismay.

Relationships are constantly shifting and there is so much conflict. Let nothing you dismay.

But, politics. Let nothing you dismay.

The world is changing so fast. Let nothing you dismay.

I can’t “afford” Christmas. Let nothing you dismay.

(insert your worry here).  Let nothing you dismay.

Have you ever told somebody to calm down?  Or better yet, has anyone ever told you to calm down?  How’d that go?  If your experience is anything like mine then you will note that no calming happened in response to that command.  Often the exact opposite happens because our present calamity has a stronger voice than our future serenity.  Take heart and know that you are not alone in this.  

In Luke 1:11-15 Zechariah is told, do not be afraid (let nothing you dismay) because his barren wife was going to bear a son and he would be amazing. Luke 2:30-33 Mary is told, do not be afraid (let nothing you dismay) because her son would be the Savior of the world. Then in Matthew 2:20-21 Joseph is told, you guessed it, do not be afraid (let nothing you dismay) because his fiancee’s pregannacy is the Messiah of God.  The trend has everything to do with events surrounding the birth of Jesus.

We are entrenched in realities that could bring us to debilitating fear-or we can remember.  We can allow the truth of Jesus’ birth to be our core thought, our guiding principal.  When we trust that Jesus came to defeat sin and death then we have no reason to be afraid.  Jesus has saved us from the curse of shame and death.  When are taken by our fear we lose sight of our peace.  

Christ our Savior is our peace.  Christmas means we don’t have to be afraid.  Let nothing you dismay.

Scripture Reference

Luke 1:11-15, Luke 1:30-33, Matthew 1:20-21

Action Step

What is causing you to be afraid?  Reinforce the truth that Christ is your peace.

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O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him,
Christ the Lord!

O Come, All Ye Faithful, refrain

I have been walking through a difficult season. I mean completely life-altering. My life as I knew it drastically changed as I found myself walking through a divorce after years of a difficult, unreconcilable marriage. At one of my counseling sessions, my counselor and I evaluated the last 6 months. As we sat in together reconciling the difference between my heartache and journey in comparison to many others who have walked this unspeakably painful path, we could only attribute the growth, the peace, and sheer thriving to one source: God.

I had nothing left to give, completely poured out and so unsure how to move forward. I had many nights where I sat alone completely broken, weeping, and deeply hurting. While battling heartache, anxiety, and physical pain the only comfort I could find was to listen and sing worship music: to adore Him. 

As I worshipped, I journaled my prayers. One prayer I wrote was completely praising God with adoration, claiming every name that I had ever intimately known. This is what honestly saved my life and got me through this incredibly difficult season.

The truth is we are never truly alone. We can run to the Father, clinging to the hem of His garment, safe within the palm of His hands. I found peace as I praised Him because peace is not the absence of problems, peace is found in the presence of God. It is because our hearts are made to adore Him and reciprocate God’s love. We were made for an intimate love relationship with God in the highs and the lows. What we receive as we adore Him is peace as we experience His deep-abiding love for us. It is such a gift!

Scripture Reference

Psalm 95:1-7

Action Step

Reflect on a time you walked through a difficult situation, maybe it’s right now. What is your initial response? If you’re not sitting in His presence, worshiping Him in the difficult places, ask Him to help you adore Him. Then, praise Him in the broken places.

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God from true God, and
Light from Light eternal,
born of a virgin, to earth he comes!
Only-begotten Son of God the Father

O Come, All Ye Faithful, verse 2

This verse may sound familiar: they hark back to the oft-recited Nicene Creed and incredibly similar Apostles Creed, two staples in many “traditional” Christian church services.  The former is a bit longer than the latter and has some additional theology (what we believe about God) in it.  It’s that difference that we find here in these lyrics: the establishment of Jesus and God as one. 

The Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) is incredibly essential to the beliefs we maintain as Christians: if Jesus was not one with the Father, inseparable as light is from light, then that would make Him a lesser God…but then our roots in monotheism (the belief of one God as opposed to many Gods as the Egyptians believed in, for example) would become uprooted, and Jesus becomes a “lesser” God than his father.  No.  Jesus and God are one, along with the Holy Spirit.  They have existed in perfect harmony with one another since before creation. They exist in perfect peace in relationship to one another.

Going even further back than the Creation accounts in Genesis, we see that the first true example of us living in community is exemplified in the Triune God, Himself.  We were made in His image and once we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit lives in us, too.  As such, within ourselves and within the Trinity, we have a microcosm of living in community with others.

God never asks us to do something which He didn’t already do Himself and which He didn’t already craft a way for achieving.  Let Him be the prime exemplar of how we should peacefully exist and interact with others today.

Scripture References

Ephesians 4:2-3; Romans 12:16-18

Action Step

Today, in prayer, ask God to reveal where you could benefit from greater community in your life.  Is it within your marriage?  With parents or grandparents? In your church? Once revealed, commit to taking a step toward community in that area before the day is done.  

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O come all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant 
O come ye, o come ye to Bethlehem
Come and behold him born the king of angels.

O Come, All Ye Faithful, verse 1

I was a faithful Orioles fan for one season.  I went to the games, knew all the players, checked scores daily and trash-talked Yankee fans.  I was devoted.  Toward the end of the season it looked like they were moving toward an American League Championship and I was there for it, until they lost.  It was like someone ripped my heart out and danced on its pathetic form.  

Faithfulness does that.  We entrust something or someone with our hopes and fears.  This is where our first verse brings us.  The author calls the faithful to rejoice in victory, to revel in triumph, because a king has been born.  He is a king whose power is over the physical and metaphysical physical realms.  The faithful can breathe a sigh of relief because of the peace that comes through victory.  But there is a next step.  It’s not enough to feel the relief but to be called to approach the unlikely place where this thing has happened and worship the king.

Bethlehem was the last place on earth where events like this should take place.  This piece of the Christmas story is incredible for those who doubt what God can do and where God will move.  The king of angels is born in an unlikely place.  Even the faithful can doubt God can move in an unlikely place.  Doubting does not take away the status as “faithful,” but the faithful can have their doubts removed because they stay.  The faithful trust in God in the midst of their doubts and are rewarded with peace that surpasses understanding.

Scripture Reference

Hebrews 10:22, Micah 5:2

Action Step

Where do you have the greatest doubts?  What can you do to reinforce your faith in the midst of your doubt?

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Our journey through Advent brings us to a reflection of peace.  A quick description of peace might be the absence of chaos and conflict.  I can tell you that one of the most peaceful moments of my day is when my two youngest children are asleep in their beds. A quick jaunt to the nearest hobby store, and you might find a rustic plaque with script writing that declares, “Peace on Earth.”  It doesn’t take much research for us to find the opposite is the harsh reality of our world.  Which brings us to the question: If Jesus comes to bring “Peace on Earth,” why is there so much violence and conflict? 

The two songs we will use as reference points are “O Come All Ye Faithful” and “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.”  Each song provides a unique perspective on the peace that God inaugurates through the life of Jesus.  In “O Come,” we will see the Christmas story of Luke described in 3 stanzas and a major key.  In “God Rest,” we will go through 3 stanzas of a song in a minor key.  It is a beautiful illustration that Christ is our peace amid our joy and sadness.

When the prophet Isaiah foretold the birth of Christ, he said, “And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace, there will be no end.”  God has established his rule of peace through Jesus.  The next step is for us to live into that peace on his terms, not ours.  It is then that we will find the peace that we are looking for.

Scripture References

Isaiah 9:6-7, Isaiah 40:1-5

Action Step

In moments where you feel like there is conflict, meditate on the peace Jesus wants to bring.

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This week’s hymns

Traditional Versions

Contemporary Versions

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O Come, O King of nations,
bind in one the hearts of all mankind. 
Bid all our sad divisions cease,
and be yourself our King of Peace.

O Come, O Come Emmanuel, verse 7

I love how the writer of this song speaks of such great hope as he asks for the binding of the hearts of all mankind and asks for all sad divisions to cease. What a beautiful request to the King of Peace! He knows that we need Jesus to make peace. 

To fully appreciate this song verse, let’s break down the word peace by taking a look at this word in Hebrew. In Hebrew, the word peace is Shalom which means completeness, soundness, welfare, and peace.  Have you ever experienced peace? Where everything is complete, sound, safe, and in total peace? I’ve had moments of peace by myself and with others. Moments where it can feel like everything is “right in the world”.

 In John 16:33 Jesus says, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” In a world that is chaotic, busy, and quite overwhelming I have had to be intentional to cultivate peace within my life and with others.

The successful abiding of peace has only come through spiritual discipline. Making sure I am entering into the peace-filled presence of God through His Word, praise, thanksgiving, and prayer. When I do it shifts my perspective from the problem to the hope found in Jesus.

Isaiah 26:3 is a promise that says “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you because he trusts in you.” It can be hard in a world that distracts us, but He promises us that as we focus on Him, and trust Him, that we will have perfect peace.  What a beautiful hope-filled promise!

We interact with people often. Whether in our homes, our workplaces, our schools, or even grocery shopping. Simple fact: people are everywhere. God has designed us for others and to be in community with others.

Relationships can be difficult at times. In our scripture reading, James gives us great advice on how to walk wisely with others. In doing so, he says we will reap righteousness.

Peacemakers are those who seek peace at all costs. This is not merely keeping the peace. That would be called a peacekeeper, which is not what we are called to be. Rather we are called to make peace. This can vary in approach and what you are tasked with prayerfully through the Holy Spirit, but regardless of how the peace should be made, James encourages us to walk wisely in doing it.

Scripture Reference

James 3:17-18

Action Step

 Is there a difficult relationship in your life currently? Pause and take a moment to pray for this relationship. Ask God what next step you need to do to become a peacemaker in this relationship, then follow through in obedience to what God is asking you to do.

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