His Living Hope

I didn’t know what to expect when giving birth to my first child. In labor for over 23 hours, I had never experienced that kind of pain. Yet the joy that came immediately afterwards overwhelmed the previous feelings of agony and discomfort.

When Jesus entered the world as a baby, Isaiah explains it as a time when the people were enveloped in darkness (Isaiah 9:1-7). Anguish, gloom, and disdain were prevailing during the time that surrounded His birth.

Just like pain most often comes before giving birth, we recognize the suffering that surrounded us at the time Jesus was birthed into our own lives. Yet even in knowing that we were in dire need of Him to enter into our darkness, those moments of pain we experienced without Him are fleeting compared to what He brings to us immediately upon calling on Him.

The experience of the birth of Jesus into our hearts brings us hope, love, joy, and peace. It is only through Him that we have eternal life. We can live this life knowing that what He has to offer us is beyond anything this world could ever give us.

This hope He has for us is a living hope! It is real for us every day because Jesus is alive and working actively in all of us who have given our hearts completely over to Him, making Him Lord and Savior.

Heavenly Father, thank you for sending your Son Jesus into this world so I may have eternal life. I desire to make you Lord over every part of my life so I may know you more. Give me courage to share your love to those around me who don’t know you so they may experience the peace and joy you have to give them. Amen.

Go Deeper — We all have someone in our lives who is struggling in their darkness because they do not know Jesus. Take some time this week to pray for them and for an opportunity in 2018 to share the life that Jesus wants to give them and the light that He desires to shine into their dark world.