Isaiah 9:2-5
The people who walk in darkness shall see a great Light—a Light that will shine on all those who live in the land of the shadow of death. For Israel will again be great, filled with joy like that of reapers when the harvest time has come, and like that of men dividing up the plunder they have won.
For God will break the chains that bind his people and the whip that scourges them, just as he did when he destroyed the vast host of the Midianites by Gideon’s little band. In that glorious day of peace there will no longer be the issuing of battle gear; no more the bloodstained uniforms of war; all such will be burned.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
I did quite a bit of shopping today…and by that, I mean I visited several stores. Everywhere I went, people were busily seeking that “just-right” Christmas gift, talking about how they wished they were done with their shopping, and generally stressing out over the holidays and all that they still have to do. One lady I’d never seen in my life turned to me on the baking supplies aisle and said, “Why does Christmas have to come so soon after Thanksgiving?!” She was lamenting how much food costs and how she has to prepare a dish for her church’s potluck!
Somehow, I am thinking this was not part of God’s plan when He sent Jesus to this earth. When the shepherds and scholars saw the bright light in the east that signaled the birth of our Messiah, I don’t figure their first thought was, “Great! Now they will want us to bring our specialty dish to a potluck!”…or even “What on earth will I get for Aunt Sue this year?”
My point is that we’ve gotten so caught up in the “busyness” of Christmas that we have totally forgotten the significance of this month and its celebrations. Even if we have considered the birth of the Christ Child…we have not really stopped to remember the impact that His earthly life had for each of us. Most certainly, we’ve given little thought to the chains of sin’s bondage that He broke for us…how He destroyed the hold of Satan over our lives and gave us salvation in Him… a gift that we can never deserve - much less repay.
We’re so busy rushing from one store to the next, marking things off our lists, and making sure that everyone has the perfect holiday that we have totally forgotten about Jesus. In one of the stores I visited this morning, I met a high school classmate who now lives in another community. I asked what brought her to our town, and she replied, “We came to visit my father-in-law, and I needed to lay flowers on family graves.” Her words caught my attention!
I noted that she had time in this busy season to visit an older person who might be lonely. She set aside her own agenda to think of others…something Jesus does for us every single day! I was reminded that there are those who need a visit from me. There are people who are sick and suffering – and Christmas is the farthest thing from their mind right now. There are others who aren’t celebrating the holidays…or at least not the birth of Jesus Christ. Many will enjoy the parties and festivities but never consider the real reason for our holiday.
So today, I encourage you to stop and consider the “Light that will shine on all those who live in the land of the shadow of death” – the Light of Jesus Christ. As you go about the holiday celebrations and rituals – the parties and the “chores of the season” – consider Jesus. How would He view these things? Would His “to-do” list look like yours? Are you truly remembering to do things for others, as Jesus would wish? Will the Light of Christ be visible in your actions and attitudes this season? Don’t you think it should?
©2014 Debbie Robus
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