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“[…] A thrill of hope! The weary world rejoices. Long lay the world in sin and error pining, till He appeared and the soul felt its worth…”
Excerpt from the carol O Holy Night.
2024 has been a very tough year! The word ‘pining’ captures our mood after the battering of constant problems and fears—we feel we have lost our way, our spirit is low, and our mental health is being shredded. Out of breath and languishing.
Have we lost control is a question that raises its head frequently. Darkness is part of our lives. And it was part of the Christmas story.
Imagine Joseph, described as a ‘man faithful to the law’ (Matthew 2:19), finding out that the woman he is engaged to is pregnant! This news shattered all the joy and anticipation that was present. That was undoubtedly an unexpected test.
Things were going well, and then they were not! What a catastrophe! Mary ran the risk of being stoned (according to the Jewish law). Joseph, on his own, considered what to do. An angel then appeared and guided him to the appropriate action.
Image: Sweet Media
Often, we do not see the back story of events. Why did this happen to me? We frequently ask ourselves. Joseph’s lesson for us is to listen to God first rather than depend on our strengths and reasoning.
Enter the Wise Men, who were honest seekers. They substituted the guidance of the Star, which was put to guide them and went to the King’s palace. Future kings are born in palaces—is that not true?
They stopped following the Star and the Person who put the Star there. There, they met Herod, a ruthless man who had murdered his wife and three sons and anybody else who would criticise him.
Herod felt threatened by the news that there may be another king. All of Jerusalem was distressed. Leaders could distress us. But God’s plan was there in the books. We should not let our leaders distress us—we should remember that all leaders are in God’s hands. They are mere passing clouds.
Herod was deceptive and spoke with a forked tongue. He promised to visit and worship the new baby. Having left the palace, the Wise Men saw the Star again. They were overjoyed. Sometimes, we must take our eyes off our leaders and turn to God for direction. It will be less stressful.
When they got to where the Child was with His mother, they were warned not to return to Herod. God can reveal the hearts and intents of man. We live in a land where promises and sweet talk abound. We will be well served to get God’s guidance to discern the charlatans.
God intervened and told Joseph to pick up the Child and Mary and to hasten to Egypt. He obeyed immediately.
Egypt is the place where the Jews were enslaved. However, it is also where another Joseph was elevated to run the national affairs. The memory of their slavery was enshrined in the religious feast of the Passover.
As a destination, Egypt was a complicated thing. Darkness and stress reigned. The King wanted no competitors. Sometimes, our leaders cause us distress because they put their agenda above our needs.
In such circumstances, we may be bewildered by the choices in front of us. The lesson is to obey God and trust He will work things out. Go to Egypt if God sent you!
Image: Craig Elliot
Had Joseph not left town, the Child would have been killed. Herod went on a rampage and killed all the boys under two years in Bethlehem and its surroundings! Imagine your guiltless son being killed for no good reason.
Poor leadership and ruthless men are downright dangerous, especially to innocent bystanders. In our modern democracy, we must carefully weigh all the issues and ask God for guidance. Feelings are often not the best guide.
A thrill of hope! The weary world rejoices… till He appeared, and the soul felt its worth.
The appearance of Jesus at Christmas time enables us to feel our worth! No matter what others say, we have worth.
“If you do not know your own worth, somebody will tell you your worth—and it’ll be less than you are worth.”
Bernard Hopkins, International Boxing Federation Middleweight Boxing champion 1995.
Do not give in to the darkness. You have much worth. Jesus, at Christmas, delivers a thrill of hope.
What hard times are you facing as we come to the end of 2024? How are you responding? We may be mad at God for what we faced. Or we may be confused.
The pain of 2024 may have left us without any feeling. Hopeless. Emotionless.
What if that darkness were to point us to a different way? Can we not pause this Christmas and see what God may be telling us through our 2024 pain?
Do not curse God. Let His light shine and make your path brighter.
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