Everything looks different in the glitter of Christmas lights.
The lights of Christmas spark hope in my heart.
Tucked away in each of our hearts is longing for the light of Christ, experiencing the gifts of hope, peace, and joy. Created to shine His light, we ache with frustration as we find ourselves jammed tight in an over-crowded schedule of commitments and expectations, especially this time of year.
Light shines joy and love throughout the Christmas season, but it is also the power of God at work overcoming the darkness. Has the pace of life threatened to eclipse the true light of Christmas, as worshipping the Christ-child becomes one of many loved traditions of the season?
Honestly, some days it’s a struggle to make time for the holy in this blessed holiday.
In the beginning, before time began to tick, before land separated seas, and before love lived in the hearts of men, the Word was with God.
And the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. —John 1:3 NASB
Good news breaks the chaotic confusion of darkness with words that radiate life-giving power and presence of Christ.
In him was life and the life was the light of men. —John 1:4 NASB
Life and light in this sacred equation go together. The beginning of life and the beginning of light. And the world have never been the same. The light of men, Christ is the light that breaks the power of death.
Jesus is life, the eternal life. And He is the life-giving light in the darkness of this lost and hurting world. The word life holds so more than the facts of biology. This God-life offers us the blessing to enjoy true life that comes from Christ. It’s energetic, fresh, and strong, bringing the vitality of God into the way we live and act. It is the essence of His very life.
During Christmas, difficulty and hardship often mingle side-by-side with celebration. Truly, darkness comes in a variety of forms. When storms rage, we are caught off guard when the lights go out. We loose our bearings.
Disoriented, we grope and grasp, trying to find our way. It’s all too easy to depend on ourselves to light the way–the how’s and the why’s of trying to somehow survive the confusion of the dark.
Darkness blankets hope with the heavy weight of difficult days. Hurting relationships, depleted finances, lost dreams, or broken hearts, life has no shortage of situations weary us under the weight.
Deep in the dark, we strain to see the choice to make or which way to walk. Reaching into our thoughts and emotions, shadows of anxiety, depression, grief, bitterness, or fear reveal our need for the light of hope.
On our dark days, whatever the cause, we long for the light. Difficult times can be especially hard at Christmas. Echoes from ages past, the prophesy becomes reality the blessed night Christ was born.
The people who walk in darkness
Will see a great light;
Those who live in a dark land,
The light will shine on them. —Isaiah 9:2 NASB
The beautiful truth about light is the darkness cannot overcome it. The darkness can never be so deep that the light of a single candle cannot push back the darkness. And there is no deed too dark that the purifying light of Christ cannot bring the saving grace of forgiveness.
Christmas beckons with the shimmer of true joy–the Light that ushers God’s best into our worst.
Turn out the lights and sit in the light of a candle or the twinkle of your Christmas tree. Reflect on these holy words, “In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.”
In what way do you need to experience the life and light of Christ this Christmas?
Could you trust Christ light up a dark situation in your life today?
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Enjoy the Best of Christmas from Ginger
A curated collection of Christmas content from award-winning author and blogger, Ginger Harrington. Take the Christmas Worship Challenge, read inspiring devotions, download free gifts, gather ideas for family fun, make a special gift, and chuckle with Ginger’s Christmas humor. Read the story of Ginger’s Christmas miracle in a free chapter from her book, Holy in the Moment. Enjoy the best of Christmas that you’ll want to come back to year after year!
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Read the story of a Christmas miracle I experienced in the first chapter of my award-winning book, Holy in the Moment. You’ll read a poignant story from one challenging Christmas in my life at the end of the first chapter. Read the story of what happened here. Give the gift of holy this Christmas–Holy in the Moment makes a wonderful gift to encourage faith in a practical way. Learn more about the book here.
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