How to Find Hope on a Long Silent Night

How to Find Hope on a Long Silent Night ALICIA BRUXVOORT

“That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them.” Luke 2:8-9a (NLT)

I sit alone near the window at the end of a long December day, my weary frame wrapped in a wordless sigh and a plush red blanket. The wintry woods beyond the glass are as quiet as my children who sleep down the hall.

Moonbeams mingle with the twinkling lights of our Christmas tree, and starlight waltzes with the shadows on the floor.

I take a deep breath and seek solace in the silence. But my heart refuses to rest in the hallowed hush.

For years, when my wee ones filled the nights with wails, I dreamed of a quiet like this.

But what I didn’t know then — when my midnight hours thrummed to the rhythm of sniffling sighs and colicky cries — is that children aren’t the only ones who can fill the night with clamor.

Sometimes the quiet quakes noisy, too.

Doubts drowned out by the drone of the day can resurrect with a ruckus in the lull of night. Fear can run wild when our feet finally slow. And worry can howl reckless in the hush.

It’s in the quiet where we often come face-to-face with our questions:

Do I really believe that God is good?
Does He truly see my needs and hear my prayers?
Do I trust Him enough to obey when it doesn’t make sense?
Will His promises hold firm even if my hope falls short?

It’s in the quiet where we learn to fight for faith.

So, I shift my eyes from that twinkling tree to the Bible on my lap. And I read aloud from those treasured pages.

“That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. ‘Don’t be afraid!’ he said. ‘I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior — yes, the Messiah, the Lord — has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger” (Luke 2:8-12, NLT).

God’s Word dangles in the air like the velvet stockings hanging hopeful on my mantle. I close my eyes and try to listen to the truth of Scripture rather than the squall of my own soul.

I imagine the Hope of Heaven landing on the dust of earth … the squeals of fright and the blaze of light. The angel’s declaration and the shepherds’ consternation.

And I ask Jesus to show me something new in this familiar account of the very first Christmas.

Then all at once, I see it through a haze of grateful tears:

The message the angels proclaimed on that Bethlehem hillside long ago didn’t just change the course of one bygone silent night.

The good news of great joy changed the course of every silent night to come. Because we don’t have a God who merely pierces our darkness. We have a Savior who lingers beside us on our long silent nights (Isaiah 9:2-7).

The prophets foretold it (Isaiah 7:14). The angel repeated it. And His name confirms it (Matthew 1:23). God is with us.

And in His presence, we can find everything we need when the quiet quakes noisy.

Dear Jesus, thank You for sticking with me whether I’m full of hope or full of fear. I’m glad my doubts don’t diminish Your love and my qualms don’t offend Your faithfulness. Teach me how to rest in Your presence when my heart is unsettled. I want to trust You more. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Luke 1:78-79, “Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.” (NLT)

Matthew 1:23, “‘Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel’ (which means, God with us).” (ESV)

A Necessary but Challenging Lesson

A Necessary but Challenging Lesson

Dr. Charles Stanley

Psalms 27:14

There are many lessons for us to learn in God's School of Obedience. With space for just two, I have chosen principles that aren't easy. Yesterday, we learned that Christians must trust the Lord. Today, let's tackle patience: Believers must learn to wait upon Him.

Have you ever wondered why the psalmist coupled the admonition to wait upon God with encouragement to be strong and courageous? The reason is that sometimes delaying is the hardest thing to do.

Modern culture is in such a hurry. Gotta have it now! Gotta do it now! Can't wait! We've been primed to stay in a permanent state of readiness. It takes courage to be still when the world is rushing past. Everything in us hollers, "Go!" while God whispers, "Wait." But people are quick to act, because they are afraid of missing out on something. Believers who buy into that attitude make a move and then hope God will bless them.

God leaves nothing to chance. He does not place a decision before us with the hope that we'll make the right choice. That would be irresponsible and out of character. The Father is more than willing to show His children what to do, because He is personally interested in their welfare. But until the Lord makes clear what is the way forward, we've got to pause and wait. 

Waiting upon God is not passive. It is not lazy. It is not an excuse to be careless. In fact, the opposite is true.

What Does “Noel” Mean?

What Does “Noel” Mean?
By Meg Bucher

Noel, another word for Christmas, reminds us to stop and sing of the hope we have in Jesus. Noël, the French word for Christmas, came from the Latin word natalis, meaning “birth.”

A “Christmas Cactus" only blooms during the Christmas season. I forget to water it most of the winter, re-pot it in the spring, and continue to forget about it. But my plant continues to survive beyond my ability to care for it. Annually, the first week of the Advent (Christmas), it begins to flower. It’s in a pot of fairly dry dirt… on my desk… in Northern Ohio… and it’s a cactus. Yet God says, “it’s time.”

Noel is a birthday! We define time as an appointed, fixed, or customary moment or hour for something to happen, begin, or end. (Merriam-Webster)Behind every human being is a baby in a womb whose life began to God’s whisper, “it’s time.” We can trust the Author of Life, and the proof is Jesus. In the town of David, God said, “it’s time,” and born was the Savior of the world. Jesus, born to hold, nurture, and love us; came to us as a vulnerable baby boy who needed to be held, nurtured and loved.

“He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him.  He came to his own people, and even they rejected him.  But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.” - John 1:10-13

Each morning, I faithfully clean and prepare my glasses for the day with special cloth and spray. It’s worth it to me. I appreciate the view. Guess what? They’re shatterproof, too. My vision is protected.

When Zechariah lost his ability to see God clearly, his speech left with it. He doubted the vision he saw. He questioned the message. At his son’s birth, his speech returned. Jesus restored our hope with His. Might something we were previously unaware of be blocking Him from our vision?

The b-side of birth lies beyond God’s creation of our physicality. He built the possibility of hope into our DNA. A gift of grace allowed by the sacrifice of the baby boy born in the town of David. The opportunity to break free and follow Him home. The power of purpose as our feet tread the dirt of this Earth. When Christ is our personal Savior, the silence is lifted and our vision realigned… like getting new pair of shatterproof glasses. In a fresh hug of friendship defined, we are born… again. Believe. See…

“Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel… born is the King of Israel.”

“Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel… born is the King of Israel.”

-The First Noel Christmas Carol

Take time to sing in celebration! Jesus was born to save us. It’s not just any birthday celebration. Christmas is the love of the Father and peace of the Son that transcends the encapsulation of time. Birth is the emergence of a new individual from the body of its parent (Merriam-Webster.) God said, “it’s time,” and like the wind blows when He says and the seas calm at His hand, Heaven came to earth embodied in His Son. We not only get to partake in this love story …we are the center of it. Can you see it? Noel! It’s time.

Video Bible Lesson - The Manger Was A Clue by Paul David Tripp

The Manger Was A Clue 

by Paul David Tripp

1/2 Hour of God’s Power with Scott Ralls

12/23/19

#Jesus #Christian #Bible #Salvation #Heaven #God #HolySpirit

A Prayer for Healing this Christmas Season

A Prayer for Healing this Christmas SeasonBy Debbie McDaniel

“Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He sent forth his word and healed them, he rescued them from the grave.” Psalm 107:19-20

The Christmas season is always the time of year filled with so much joy and hope, a spirit of giving, and celebrations with family and friends. Yet that may also be the very reason why those suffering deep heartache, loss, illness, or struggle during this season, may feel the weight of their burdens even more deeply. Maybe many feel alone. Or forgotten. Maybe some wonder why God isn’t answering their prayers, or why his answers seem so long in coming. If you find yourself there right now, or are praying for a loved one through a difficult time, take heart in this word from Psalms:

“Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He sent forth his word and healed them, he rescued them from the grave.” Psalm 107:19-20

• We have a place we can go to. We can cry out to God and be assured He does hear. And He cares.
• God saves. He did then, and He does still.
• He sent forth his word and healed them. And God never changes.
• He rescued them. And He rescues us today.

Through Christ alone, we can find true healing – from physical illness and pain, from past wounds and difficult memories, from the heartache of deep loss, from addiction, despair, and even in the relationships that have been broken.

God already knows of the wounds we've carried. He knows the pain we've felt. He knows how much we've tried to let go, and fix things in our own power. Let's set aside our fears and move towards Him today, in faith.

For He is able.

He is powerful.

He cares.

He heals.

He restores.

He redeems.

Dear God,

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 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.

In Jesus’ Name, 

Amen.