Are you confused about what you should do next? As you come to the end of the year and look at a new one you’ll have some decisions to make. Some will be easy, others will be difficult and painful.
Even if you know what you should do uncertainty about the details can feel paralyzing as you try to plan and move forward.
Which is one of the reasons why I love Christmas! In the face of uncertainty Christmas can give you hope and peace.
God guided Mary & Joseph, the Wise Men, and the shepherds all where they needed to be. He even guided you here today to read this exact message. For some reason God orchestrated all of the events of your life to get you here today because He wanted to remind you of a simple truth—He is in control.
God is reaching out to you in love…to remind you of truths that you know but your circumstances want you to forget.
The truth is that God has promised to guide you…and not just guide you on any path, but the best path.
The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you. –Psalm 32:8
God always keeps His promises. He made everything work out in the Christmas story (Luke 2:1-20; Matthew 2:1-23 ) and He’ll make everything work out in your life.
As you read the Christmas story it wasn’t filled with just bright moments of an angelic choir singing and Wise Men bringing gold. There were plenty of not-so-bright moments. Moments where the circumstances conspired to drown out any sign of a God who cares or is in control.
For example…the circumstances where you have no other option but to give birth in a barn with farm animals and manure. The circumstances that force you to wrap your newborn baby in rags and then place him in a feeding trough. If CPS would have been around I don’t think they would have let Mary & Joseph keep Jesus. Or when you are running from Herod and living as refugees because the king wants to kill your son. Or when everyone was laughing at you for saying you were a pregnant virgin. Not such bright moments. Confusing and painful circumstances to say the least.
But Mary pondered in her heart the promises God made to her. I think they gave her strength for the darker and confusing moments. I think she remembered the angel’s words… Do not be afraid. You have found favor with God.
If you are facing something that is causing you to quake…If you are facing something that is causing you to live life minute by minute…Let these words from the Christmas story sink in…
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!
Don’t be afraid about what you are facing! Christmas didn’t bring bad news. It brought good news for everyone in every situation. The Savior you so desperately need now has come and He is called Emmanuel–“God with us!” Right beside us, within us, every step of the way.
Don’t be afraid! God knows what you are going through and it’s not too hard for Him!
