I am not sure if we, as a collective body living on planet Earth, have ever entered the Christmas season this worn down, weary, and filled with questions.
The events and months of 2020 have highlighted the truth that life is fragile, and we have precious little control over the things that matter most to us. And by highlighted, I mean surrounded by harsh flashing bulbs that light up the sky.
In the final months of a year filled with too many unprecedented events are you wondering if you can even trust God anymore?
We need the wonder of Christmas, the joy, and the peace more than ever. And, in some ways, we have never been more prepared to see it.
Could the disappointments, the grief, the uncertainty of this calendar year have us searching for something that will last?
As we sit in shadows of uncertainty, a warm glow fills the air.
Light breaks through darkness, allowing things to be clearly seen. And on that first Christmas, God stepped into history in an unexpected way to show us that He is the answer to our deepest needs.
He still answers the questions we ask in the quiet of the night:
Am I alone? Does God love me? Does God have a plan for me? Can I trust Him?
And He responds:
His Name answers Am I alone?
His Presence answers Does God love me?
His Purpose answers Does God have a plan for me?
And these provide the answer to the question that lies at the center of it all:
Can I trust Him?
The Christmas story is part of a larger story, a story that began before God said, “Let there be light.” A story that includes the Garden of Eden, the Cross and Resurrection. A story that is still unfolding.
We celebrate Christmas with an eye on the climax of the entire story. We celebrate the sweet baby in the manger because He is the suffering Savior on the cross, and the risen Savior who defeated the enemy of our soul out of love for us.
If you have thought This is not the way it should be,
If you’ve worried about health, finances, or the future,
If you’ve secretly wondered if you’ve missed out on the good in life,
If you feel like you are stuck in survival mode,
This book was written with you in mind.
In Unexpected Ways: Christmas in Everyday Life is a compilation of devotions written during moments when my heart held more questions than answers, when I wondered if God loved me, and when I felt like nothing would ever change.
God answered the questions I was really asking by whispering truth to my heart, truth from his Word that revealed His Presence, His love, and His purpose. Truth whispered from his Word changes us more deeply than the shouts of the world ever will.
God stepped into history in an unexpected way to show us that He is the answer to our deepest needs.
He has not changed. He still works through the unexpected to draw us to Him.
And drawing us to Himself is always the purpose for the unexpected.
In Unexpected Ways: Christmas in Everyday Life is available on Amazon.