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“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:6–7

In his book Prevailing Prayer, D. L. Moody wrote, “We ought to be more thankful for what we get from God. Perhaps some of you mothers have a child in your family who is constantly complaining—never thankful. You know that there is not much pleasure in doing anything for a child like that. If you meet with a beggar who is always grumbling, and never seems to be thankful for what you give, you very soon shut the door in his face altogether. Ingratitude is about the hardest thing we have to meet with. We cannot speak too plainly of this evil, which so demeans those who are guilty of it. Even in Christians there is but too much of it to be seen. Here we are, getting blessings from God day after day; yet how little praise and thanksgiving there is in the Church of God!”

If we are not careful, the tendency in our prayer lives is that they become centered on what we want and need. God has given us the privilege of bringing our requests before His throne, and it is right for us to do so. But our prayers should not be requests for ourselves alone. In the model prayer Jesus instructed us to pray about God’s kingdom and God’s glory as well as our daily needs. Part of Bible prayer is giving thanks—even while we are waiting—for God’s answer. Some people fail to find peace in their prayers because they are missing the thanksgiving that should go along with prayer and supplication. Gratitude should be a part of our prayer as we discover God’s peace.

“For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,”

Romans 1:20–22

In Romans 1, Paul describes the descent of a society that has turned away from God. Paul wrote in terms that could easily have been taken from the news headlines of our day. The culture he describes is the one we live in. If we look back at the beginning of the process of decline and decay, we find a sin that leads directly to the downward path—not being thankful and failing to give God glory for what He has done. This is the first step on the road to folly and destruction.

God warned the children of Israel through Moses of this danger before they entered the land of Canaan. He told them that He would bless them with houses, vineyards, and orchards that they would not have to work for. This incredible economic blessing was coming to them solely because of God’s gracious favor. Moses said that after they received all these good things: “Then beware lest thou forget the LORD, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage” (Deuteronomy 6:12).

When we are blessed with material things, we need to guard our hearts against the temptation to think that we have them because we deserve them, and instead give thanks to God for His grace. When we are not thankful we place ourselves on the path to ruin.

“In those days Hezekiah was sick to the death, and prayed unto the LORD: and he spake unto him, and he gave him a sign. But Hezekiah rendered not again according to the benefit done unto him; for his heart was lifted up: therefore there was wrath upon him, and upon Judah and Jerusalem.”

2 Chronicles 32:24–25

When the prophet Isaiah came and told Hezekiah that he would not recover from his sickness, the king did what Christians should do in time of trouble—he prayed. God heard the prayer of his heart and miraculously healed him. It would be natural to assume that Hezekiah’s heart would have filled with gratitude and praise, and that he would have served God more faithfully than ever after receiving such a wonderful blessing. Instead, his heart was filled with pride, and Hezekiah was not thankful for what God had done.

In his play As You Like It, William Shakespeare provides this picture of the damage and pain caused by ingratitude:

Blow, blow, thou winter wind,
Thou art not so unkind
As man’s ingratitude;
Thy tooth is not so keen,
Because thou art not seen,
Although thy breath be rude.

Freeze, freeze, thou bitter sky,
That dost not bite so nigh
As benefits forgot:
Though thou the waters warp,
Thy sting is not so sharp
As friend remembered not.

God does not do good things for us because we are wonderful people who deserve them. He does good things for us because He is good. Through His grace, He has placed us into His family. There are few things more evil than for us not to give thanks and praise to God for His blessings. And as we see demonstrated in the life of Hezekiah, ungratefulness leads to pride, which then brings God’s judgment on our lives.

“Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.”

Colossians 3:13–15

As London prepared to host the first Invictus Games for soldiers who were wounded during recent wars, military veterans from around the world made their preparations for the competition. The games were designed to highlight what these veterans were capable of even with serious injuries. One competitor who was excited about the games was a twenty-nine-year-old former lieutenant named Dave Henson. The Afghanistan War veteran competed in three events. But for him these games were about more than just competition.

Henson said, “For me, it’s a demonstration of the characteristics of the Armed Forces: the determination, the team spirit, the refusal, I suppose, to be broken. We want people to see that, and to appreciate what it is to be in the Armed Forces these days, and what it is like to be injured. But I’d also see the Games as an opportunity to say thank you. I’d like to show the public my immense gratitude by taking part in and enjoying competition. Without the public approval and support for the Armed Forces, we’d never have these running legs, these prosthetics, this great medical care and the rehabilitation system. So it’s also an appreciation.”

Many times we are tempted to be ungrateful because we don’t have everything we want. But if we truly stop and think about the forgiveness God freely gave us through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, we would realize that everything we have is more than we deserve. A focus on what we are missing rather than on what we have kills gratitude in our hearts.

“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Hebrews 12:1–2

On August 20, 1940 while Britain stood almost alone against Nazi Germany, believing that a German invasion could come any day, Prime Minister Winston Churchill rose to speak to the House of Commons. After an update on the war situation, he turned to the topic of the Royal Air Force which was valiantly struggling to defend England against air attacks of the far superior German Luftwaffe. Churchill said, “The gratitude of every home in our Island, in our Empire, and indeed throughout the world, except in the abodes of the guilty, goes out to the British airmen who, undaunted by odds, unwearied in their constant challenge and mortal danger, are turning the tide of the World War by their prowess and by their devotion. Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.”

Christians have a history filled with heroes of the faith. We can look back on the lives of those men and women who believed the promises of God and lived according to them regardless of the cost or consequences. Even more importantly, we have the example of Jesus who faithfully followed the will of His Father, even to the cross. It is our duty to show our appreciation and gratitude for this amazing heritage by following their example and running our own race with focus and purity until we reach Heaven.

“It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High: To shew forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night, Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the psaltery; upon the harp with a solemn sound. For thou, LORD, hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands.”

Psalm 92:1–4

On October 3, 1789, in his first year as president, George Washington issued a proclamation calling for a national day of thanksgiving. He wrote: “Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor—and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness. Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be.”

Our lives should be filled with constant praise day after day, not just on a certain single day set aside each year. God is good to us all the time, and our thanks should be equal to His blessings and benefits. When our words and our songs are filled with gratitude, our hearts will be fixed on God as they should be. It is foolish to think that failing to be thankful will not impact our lives in many negative ways.

“Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people. Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, talk ye of all his wondrous works. Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD. Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually.”

1 Chronicles 16:8–11

When David brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem, it represented a great triumph. Having been taken by the Philistines, this centerpiece of the Jewish faith was unavailable for worship. Now it was in a place of honor once again. David responded by writing a great psalm of thanksgiving which highlighted not only the great things God had done, but also the importance of grateful praise for His blessings. If we wish to continue to enjoy the favor and goodness of God, then it is only right and proper that we thank Him for what He has done.

In 1863, with the Civil War still raging, Abraham Lincoln established the last Thursday in November as a day of national prayer and thanksgiving. In his declaration he wrote: “No human counsel hath devised, nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.
It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American people. I do, therefore, invite my fellow-citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a Day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens.”

“Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power. Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness. Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp. Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.”

Psalm 150:1–6

In one of his Thanksgiving Day sermons, T. DeWitt Talmage said, “Come in, oh day fragrant with a thousand memories and borne down by the weight of innumerable mercies, and tell to our thankful hearts how great is the goodness of God! Come, all ye people! Great High-priest, kindle the coals! Let the cloud fill the temple! Praise ye the Lord! Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord! Today let the people come out from their storehouses and offices, from Lowell factories and off from Western prairies and up from Pennsylvania coal-mines and out from Oregon forests and in from the whale-ships of New London and Cape Ann, and wherever God’s light shines and God’s rain descends and God’s mercy broods, let the thanksgiving arise!”

Thanksgiving should be a day of exclamation points. There should be nothing halfhearted or tentative in our praise to God. He gives freely and unreservedly to us, and our praise to Him should be just as generous. Everything in the world was created to give honor and glory to God, and though sin has corrupted our environment and the creation is groaning under a curse, we can still gratefully pour out our hearts before God and praise Him for the many wonderful blessings we receive. Let us be as fervent in our expressions of gratitude as we are in our pleas for deliverance.

“I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together. I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.”

Psalm 34:1–4

In December of 1920, Vice President elect Calvin Coolidge (then governor of Massachusetts) went to Plymouth Rock to celebrate the three hundredth anniversary of the Pilgrims’ landing in the New World. In his remarks, he highlighted the vital role that faith played in their daily lives: “There was among them small trace of the vanities of life. They came undecked with orders of nobility. They were not children of fortune but of tribulation. Persecution, not preference, brought them hither; but it was a persecution in which they found a stern satisfaction. They cared little for titles; still less for the goods of this earth; but for an idea they would die. Measured by the standards of men of their time, they were the humble of the earth. Measured by later accomplishments, they were the mighty. In appearance weak and persecuted they came—rejected, despised—an insignificant band; in reality strong and independent, a mighty host of whom the world was not worthy, destined to free mankind.”

The Pilgrims were routinely thankful, not just when things were going well and all their needs were being met. We remember the first Thanksgiving celebration they had after a great harvest, but they were also thankful during the harsh cold first winter when there was little to eat. We are meant to praise God day after day and throughout the day. The idea of restricting thanks to certain times is foreign to Scripture. Instead we should fill both our hearts and our mouths with praise to God.

“It is God that avengeth me, and that bringeth down the people under me, And that bringeth me forth from mine enemies: thou also hast lifted me up on high above them that rose up against me: thou hast delivered me from the violent man. Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and I will sing praises unto thy name.”

2 Samuel 22:48–50

David spent years avoiding Saul’s attempts to kill him. He fled from his home and family, and endured great hardship and loss. David found himself the target of repeated efforts to take his life. At one point David even went into the land of the Philistines and pretended to be crazy in order to keep them from killing him. When God finally delivered him from the hand of Saul, David wrote a psalm of praise and thanksgiving. In it, he articulated a principle that is applicable for us today—we are to praise God among the heathen.

We often think of giving thanks as something we do in church or in our homes. But our lives should overflow with praise and gratitude in such a way that those around us can see it as well. We see this principle again among those who returned from the Babylonian exile: “When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them” (Psalm 126:1–2).

We do not boast of our blessings to call attention to ourselves. But we should boast of our God who richly pours out benefits on our lives. Many people around us do not appreciate the power of God. They fail to see Him as real and active in the world. Our thanksgiving for our blessings can help change that.

“And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever. And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten.”

2 Chronicles 20:21–22

Jehoshaphat found himself facing an enormous challenge. Several of the enemies of God’s people joined forces to fight against the Kingdom of Judah. A massive army that far outnumbered the forces at Jehoshaphat’s command came against them. Not knowing what to do, Jehoshaphat fled to the house of the Lord and poured out his heart, begging God for aid and deliverance from the enemy. The word of the Lord came and commanded him to set up a most unusual battle formation.

Rather than putting his best trained and equipped soldiers on the front lines of the battle, Jehoshaphat was to send out singers to praise God and thank Him for his mercy at the head of the troops. In response, God turned the different members of the alliance against each other, and the enemy was defeated and the battle won without Jehoshaphat’s soldiers fighting at all. Obedience and thanksgiving led directly to the great victory.

My friend, Dr. Curtis Hutson, preached a sermon called “Thanksgiving in Reverse” where he suggested thanking God for the answer at the same time you pray about your need. If we are praying in submission to God’s will and according to His Word, we can have confidence that He will answer. We can praise at the beginning of the battle even before it is won. God delights in the praises of His people, and He responds to the prayers of grateful hearts who tell others what He has done.

“This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.”

Psalm 34:6–9

We often think of the first thanksgiving as the feast the Pilgrims held in1621 to celebrate the good harvest that would see them through the coming winter. But in reality, from their first day in the New World, they were continually giving thanks to God. William Bradford, for many years governor of the Plymouth colony, wrote of their arrival: “Being thus arrived in a good harbor and brought safe to land, they fell upon their knees & blessed ye God of heaven, who had brought them over ye vast & furious ocean, and delivered them from all ye periles & miseries therof, againe to set their feete on ye firme and stable earth. What could not sustaine them but ye spirite of God & his grace? May not & ought not the children of these fathers rightly say: Our fathers were Englishmen which came over this great ocean, and were ready to perish in this willdernes; but they cried unto ye Lord, and he heard their voyce, and looked on their adversitie.”

Every day we receive blessings from God which we do not deserve. Every day—in ways we do not even see or recognize—He protects us and provides for us. Thus every day should be a day of thanksgiving. The ungrateful heart that takes blessings for granted and believes that they are deserved is a blight on any believer. Let us be a people of praise, fulfilling God’s command to give Him glory.

“Whiles by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men; And by their prayer for you, which long after you for the exceeding grace of God in you. Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.”

2 Corinthians 9:13–15

At the conclusion of his teaching to the Corinthians about grace and giving, Paul pauses to reflect on the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. His conclusion—there are no words that adequately express the wonder and value of this gift. It is indescribable. The modern expression, “I’m at a loss for words” sums up Paul’s conclusion. Such an infinite act of love is beyond our capacity to understand, let alone describe.

Most of us can look back and remember one special present we received at Christmas time. It may have been a game or toy we had been looking at in the store for months on end. It may have been a gift from your parents or grandparents. Whatever it was, you will never forget the joy you experienced when you unwrapped an unspeakable gift. But as we grow up, the things we loved as children are often left behind. We move on, and the gift that once was amazing is no longer appreciated and treasured as it was previously.

It is a tragedy when this happens to Christians in regards to the greatest gift of all. After years of being a Christian, we risk taking the most wonderful gift for granted and losing the joy of our salvation. The antidote to prevent this loss is gratitude. The simple act of expressing thanks for what was freely given to us protects us against ingratitude because it reminds us first that salvation was a gift, not because of anything we have done or can do, and second, that it is a gift beyond description.

“And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity; And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.”

Luke 2:36–38

When Mary and Joseph took the baby Jesus to Jerusalem for his dedication ceremony, they met a woman who had dedicated her life to the service of God. The first thing she did was give thanks to God for the fulfillment of His promise to send a Saviour for the world. Then she told everybody she could about Jesus! These two things go beautifully together. When we are filled with gratitude and praise for our salvation, we find it easy to share the Good News with others.

In the Old Testament there is a wonderful story from the days of the prophet Elisha. The city of Samaria was besieged by an enemy army. Four lepers who had been kept outside the city walls even with an enemy army camped nearby were the first to discover that God had worked a miracle to deliver His people from the enemy. They made their way to the camp of the Syrians and found it deserted. They helped themselves to the spoils and riches left behind, but realized they had to share the news. “Then they said one to another, We do not well: this day is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace” (2 Kings 7:9). If we are truly thankful for the gift of salvation, the natural response is for us to share the Good News with others.

“Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God: Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.”

John 8:54–56

Though the Old Testament saints did not have the Scriptures or the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, they had communication from God which gave them hope for the future and a foundation for their faith. The great patriarch Abraham was given special insight into the future by God. While we don’t know how much detail Abraham knew about God’s plan to send His Son as the promised Saviour, we know that Abraham knew enough to look forward to the day that Jesus would come—and he viewed it as a cause for rejoicing.

We have great advantages in our day that Abraham did not have. Yet, too often we lose our spirit of gratitude and rejoicing for the coming of the Saviour. The Christmas season celebrates the pivotal point of all of human history. The first promise of the coming of Jesus was made to Adam and Eve, and that promise was repeated over and over through the following centuries. The great need of mankind was a Saviour, and that is what God promised to send.

The Old Testament saints died without ever seeing this great promise fulfilled, but in faith they rejoiced as though it had already happened. If they could give thanks before they received the fulfillment of the prophecies, how much more should we who have received the gift of salvation be filled with gratitude and praise? As we transition from Thanksgiving to Christmas, let us never lose our appreciation for the greatest gift of all.

“When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.”

Matthew 2:9–11

There are so many wonderful elements and details included in the Christmas story that reveal how God worked to bring everything together for the birth of His Son. One of those small but important items was the appearance of a new star in the night sky which was seen by certain wise men. It is likely that they had studied the prophecies of Daniel and were expecting the Messiah to be born around that time based on the date of the order given for the Jewish people to return to Israel from their captivity.

Of course Jesus was born in Bethlehem, not Jerusalem, because God’s plan did not revolve around earthly kingdoms. When the Bible scholars were called and asked where the newborn king was to be found, they immediately knew the answer, citing the words of the prophet Micah. This raises a pointed question—if they knew where Jesus was to be born, why weren’t they already there? The difference between the Jewish leaders and the wise men was a difference of the heart. The men from the east wanted to worship Jesus while those in Jerusalem had no interest.

Christmas is not comprised of presents and trees and carols and snow. It is the birthday of the King. And it is only when we observe it as such—when we bow our hearts before Jesus—that we can truly enjoy this wonderful season as we should.

“Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Philippians 2:9–11

I read about a pastor in England who was confronted by a popular singer who had requested a meeting with him. The singer went on at some length about the failings of some prominent Christian leaders. After listening for a few moments, the pastor stopped him and said, “I am more interested in what you think of Jesus Christ.” Sadly there are cases where followers of Christ do not live up to their calling in Him, but Jesus never fails. He is worthy of our worship.

When Jesus came to Earth, He emptied Himself of the glory and honor that were rightfully His and became a man. It is as a result of His humility and obedience that God has exalted Him. As a result of His willingness to go to the cross and die for our sins, He is worthy of all the praise and honor that can be given by both Heaven and Earth. This is the heart of the message of Christmas, and we need to be careful to make sure that Jesus does not get lost in the shuffle of everything else that is going on.

The center of everything—not just during the Christmas season, but all year long—should be Jesus. On the Mount of Transfiguration when Peter suggested spending more time with Jesus, Moses and Elijah, God had other plans. “And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him” (Mark 9:7). If we are focused on Jesus as we should be, we will find that other things fall into their proper place.

“And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.”

Luke 1:46–49

After Gabriel announced to Mary that she would be the mother of the promised Messiah, she went to her cousin Elisabeth’s home. That afforded her some privacy as she dealt with the startling news that even though she was a virgin, espoused but not yet married, she would have a child. Elisabeth was six months pregnant with John the Baptist, and she was thrilled to see Mary. So was her unborn son. Elisabeth said “For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy” (Luke 1:44)

Mary then pronounced some of the most beautiful words of worship recorded in all of human history—a song of praise and adoration to God for His grace, despite the significant changes God’s plan would make to her dreams of the future. There are several interesting things in what she said that hold lessons for us about worship. In our day, many churches are focused more on people than on God. The “seeker sensitive” trend tries to design the worship experience around how it makes us feel. Mary’s worship was all about lifting up God and glorifying His name.

Mary’s words also reveal that the heart of worship is our salvation from sin. Mary, who also needed a Saviour, praised God because through the Son who would be born to her, salvation would come into the world. (Incidentally, Mary also proclaimed her own need for a personal Saviour in her worship.) There are many wonderful things God does for us, but salvation is at the center of them all.

“And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years. And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings. And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season.”

Luke 1:18–20

All of his adult life, Zacharias faithfully served God as a priest. The greatest sorrow of his life was that he and his wife Elisabeth had no children, and now, up in years, they were well past child-bearing possibilities. Then one day as he went into the temple to burn incense, the angel Gabriel appeared to him and told him he would have a son. Zacharias could hardly believe what he was hearing, and when he asked for proof of what Gabriel said, he was told that he would not be able to speak until after his son was born.

In contrast, just a few months later Gabriel appeared to a young woman, probably still in her teens with another shocking announcement. Rather than demanding proof, Mary believed what she was told. “And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her” (Luke 1:38). The years Zacharias had spent serving God had not built his faith as they should have.

But Zacharias did learn his lesson. After John was born, the rest of Gabriel’s prophecy was fulfilled. “And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God” (Luke 1:64). Rather than waiting for miraculous events to loosen our tongues for praise and worship, we should have faith in God and praise Him for His goodness every day.

“But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.”

Galatians 4:4–6

There are dozens of Messianic prophecies in the Old Testament, many of them relating to the birth of Jesus Christ. From the first promise of a Saviour given to Adam and Eve and recorded in Genesis 3:15, there was an eager expectation for the coming of the Lord. As time passed, first years, then centuries and then millennia, there were still faithful people waiting and watching for His coming. Just as with everything God does, it did not happen according to man’s schedule. It was only “when the fulness of time was come” that Jesus was born.

Just as one example, events were orchestrated that literally put the world in motion as the government in Rome declared a census which required people to return to their ancestral home town to be registered. That order from an occupying foreign power was probably a source of great frustration and annoyance to the people of Israel, but it was necessary to get Mary and Joseph from Nazareth to Bethlehem so that Jesus could be born there and prophecy be fulfilled. God is not bound by time as we are, and He is willing to wait and work behind the scenes to bring everything together in His perfect timing.

Understanding that God is working even when we do not see Him is essential to maintaining our faith through the hard times that come. He is able to use everything that happens for good, and to use even those who oppose us to bring about His purpose and plan.

“Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.”

Matthew 1:19–21

When Joseph found out Mary was going to have a baby, his heart must have been broken. All of his hopes and dreams for the future were shattered. What he did not realize at first was that God was using a temporarily painful experience in his life as part of a much greater plan. When the angel appeared to Joseph and told him what was really going on, Joseph immediately responded in obedience and did as he was told. Even though doing what God commanded brought him shame and humiliation, Joseph was willing to do it because of his faith and hope in God.

Robert Morgan wrote, “Yes, the Bible does use the word hope. But in the Bible, hope is not synonymous with maybe. Biblical hope refers to sure and certain expectations, which, because they’re still in the future, create in us a sense of anticipation. We don’t always feel that God’s way is right, but His faithfulness doesn’t depend on our vacillating emotions, rather on His unchanging Word. It’s not a matter of how we feel but of what God says.” All of us have days when it seems that everything goes wrong. But as long as we are walking in obedience, we have every reason to hold on to our hope.

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.”

Isaiah 9:6–7

Of the many names and titles that describe the nature and character of Jesus Christ, there are several that refer to peace. When the relationship between man and God was broken by Adam’s sin in the Garden of Eden, fear was the result. Adam tried to hide because he did not want to face God in his sinful state. Since that time, man has been searching for true peace. The world offers many avenues that promise to provide peace, but all of them are doomed to failure. The only real peace is found in Jesus Christ.

The peace found in Jesus is comprehensive. Through His grace we receive, “Peace from God our Father” (Romans 1:7). Through the justification His death provides, “We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:” (Romans 5:1). Through prayer which Jesus equips us to offer, “The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7).

Those of us who are saved have something that the world desperately wants and needs. Paul reminds us of the power of the message we carry in his teaching on the armor of the Christian when he writes: “And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;” (Ephesians 6:15). The good news is that man’s broken relationship with God can be restored through Jesus.

“And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him. And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire. But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.”

Hebrews 1:6–8

When the angel appeared to shepherds in the fields near Bethlehem on the night Jesus was born to announce the arrival of the Saviour, they were not where most of us would have expected them to be. To our thinking it would have made more sense to have them appear in Jerusalem to proclaim to the political and religious leaders that Jesus had come to Earth. Yet God’s plan did not involve the high and mighty. Jesus came to seek the lost, not those satisfied with their current situation.

When the announcement had been made, the one angel was joined with a great host of angels who had come to worship God. They proclaimed, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2:14). It is always right and fitting to praise and worship God, but perhaps no time is better suited for worship than Christmas. We should never lose sight of the amazing grace that provided the very Son of God as a sinless substitute to bear the penalty of our sin.

The focus of the Christmas story is not about a baby born in a manger after a long trip or shepherds or wise men. The focus of the Christmas story is the glorious grace of God come down to provide us hope when we had none. That deserves our constant praise. As Joseph Mohr put it in the carol “Silent Night,” “With the angels let us sing, Allelujah to our King.”

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”

Luke 2:11–14

In his sermon “The First Christmas Carol,” Charles Spurgeon said, “The angels sang something which men could understand—something which men ought to understand—something which will make men much better if they will understand it. The angels were singing about Jesus who was born in the manger. We must look upon their song as being built upon this foundation. They sang of Christ, and the salvation which He came into this world to work out. And what they said of this salvation was this: they said, first, that it gave glory to God; secondly, that it gave peace to man; and, thirdly, that it was a token of God’s good will towards the human race.”

Christmas is ultimately the story of the hope of salvation—the way provided for us to know peace with God and have our sins forgiven. It is no wonder that the angels were singing when Jesus was born. This is the pivotal event of all of human history. For those of us who have received the gift of salvation, the song of the angels is also a reminder of the central role that Jesus is to hold in our hearts and minds. All of life is meant to revolve around Him. A man asked Jesus what the greatest commandment was. “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind” (Matthew 22:37).

“And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.”

Luke 2:6–7

A missionary named E. C. Adams who served in India for many years told about a special Christmas service. An Indian convert was asked to speak. According to Adams, “He spoke of the preparations that were made by many to observe the day—the decorations to the houses, the colored paper streamers, the presents given one to another, the homecoming of members of the family who had been long absent, the invitations sent out to friends to share in the rejoicings, the abundance of food and dainties eaten with such relish, the jovial singing, and the happy talk that made the day one long to be remembered. But in the midst of all such delights, how many thought of Him in Whose honour the day was being observed? Many would be sated with feasting, and some would be drunken; but what place would the Lord have in it all? What place has He in our hearts?”

The town of Bethlehem was filled with people who had traveled there for the census commanded by Caesar Augustus. So when Mary and Joseph arrived, they found no place to stay. Sadly this is a picture of many lives in our world today. Of course it is not surprising when those who do not know Jesus do not make room for Him in their lives. But it is tragic when Christians allow their lives to become so filled with other things that they have no time, energy, or attention to focus on Christ. He is not an add-on or an attachment. Jesus is to be at the very center of everything that we do.

“And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:”

Colossians 1:20–22

The most important part of the Christmas story isn’t the shepherds or the angels or the wise men. In fact, the most important part of the Christmas story isn’t about the birth of Jesus at all. It is a wonderful gift of God’s grace that His Son came into the world to be born as a man, but that is just the beginning of the story—the introduction. To really understand Christmas, we have to look to the end of the story. The most important part of the Christmas story is the reconciliation to God that is offered through Jesus Christ.

Someone summed up the meaning of Christmas in these simple but beautiful words:

If our greatest need had been information,
God would have sent us an educator,
If our greatest need had been technology,
God would have sent us a scientist.
If our greatest need had been money,
God would have sent us an economist.
If our greatest need had been pleasure,
God would have sent us an entertainer.
But our greatest need was forgiveness,
So God sent us a Saviour.

There are a lot of things competing for our attention this time of year. It is right and proper that we enjoy the good celebrations of Christmas with family and friends. But we must never lose sight of what Christmas is about. “And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world” (1 John 4:14).

“And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”

Genesis 3:14–15

Usually when we think of the start of the Christmas story, we think of Gabriel appearing to Mary and announcing that she would be the mother of the Messiah. Perhaps we might think back to prophets like Isaiah or Micah who foretold the coming of Christ. If we go all the way back to the book of Genesis, we find the promise that God made in response to Adam’s sin, but even that is not really the first story about Christmas.

It says so much to us about the amazing love that God has for us to realize that according to the Bible, before the world was ever created, God had already planned all of the details of Jesus coming to earth to be the Saviour for mankind which He would create. “And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8). That is a startling thought. Even knowing the cost, God created us, and thus the first story about Christmas was actually written before time began.

Everything about Christmas, and all the facets of God’s plan of redemption, exists because of God’s grace, mercy, and love for us. Though it is always right and necessary for us to praise Him and give thanks, our worship at this special time of year should be bursting with joy as we contemplate the wonder of His love.

“And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.”

Revelation 5:11–13

As Lord of Heaven and Earth, Jesus deserves our praise and devotion. His majesty and glory are beyond the ability of human words to describe and human minds to comprehend. Yet in communicating the truth about Jesus to us, God chose the metaphor of a lamb.

The birth of Jesus was first announced by the angels to shepherds tending flocks of sheep outside Bethlehem. It is very possible that these men were tending flocks that provided lambs for the sacrifices in the Temple. The first public declaration of who Jesus was as an adult was made by His cousin, John the Baptist. “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).

His death was foretold by the prophet Isaiah. “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth” (Isaiah 53:7). As we celebrate Christmas, we need to keep our focus on Jesus, the Lamb who came to be our Saviour.

“O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also. The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land. O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.”

Psalm 95:1–6

Even as a baby, Jesus inspired worship. When the wise men came to see Him, they knelt in His presence. After the shepherds had seen Him, they spread praise to God across the countryside. When Anna and Simeon saw Him in the Temple, they lifted their voices in thanks to God. The pattern continued throughout Jesus’ adult life and ministry. Peter knelt before Him in the fishing boat. The lepers knelt before Him and begged to be healed. Again and again, we see people before Jesus on their knees.

The word worship is a combination word from Old English “worth-ship” meaning something is of great value and worthy to be honored. That is Jesus. He alone deserves the praise, worship, and adoration of our hearts. Today it seems that we put everything else in the place that rightfully belongs to God. We follow after fleeting and temporal things of no real value. We allow our selfish desires to direct our actions instead of obeying God’s commands.

All of this would change if we saw Jesus for who He really is. If we truly understand His glory and greatness, we will find ourselves on our knees before Him, willing to do exactly as He directs. There is a strong bond between worship and obedience. Jesus said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15).

“Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.”

John 4:9–10

This time of year more than any other, there is a heightened level of awareness of spiritual things. Even those who are not believers have at least some exposure to the concept of the birth of Christ. Though this message is being watered down more and more each year as the secular aspect of Christmas becomes more prominent, there are still carols playing and at least some acknowledgment of the meaning of the season.

Yet in truth, most of the people singing those carols, or at least humming along when they don’t know all the words, do not really know who Jesus is. Like the woman at the well in a Samaria, they do not really understand the gift of God that is provided through His Son. The worship of the Saviour that is going on among believers does not resonate in their hearts, for they lack the knowledge of the true meaning of Christmas.

Thankfully that is something we can change! After Jesus explained to that woman that He was the Messiah and she believed in Him, her immediate reaction was to share the Good News with others. “The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?” (John 4:28–29). As we follow her example, we can share with the lost the knowledge of the Saviour.

“Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.”

Romans 1:21–23

Every year at this time we hear the stories of lawsuits being filed to remove manger scenes and any other indication of religious observance from public places. Schools remove Christmas carols from their programs so they don’t get in trouble, and stores instruct their cashiers not to say “Merry Christmas” to avoid giving offense to some of their customers. What is behind this change? It is at heart part of man’s continuing rebellion against God.

The God of the Bible demands worship for Himself alone as is His right as Sovereign and Creator. “I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images” (Isaiah 42:8). This is not a popular message in our anything goes culture, and so people are turning to all sorts of alternatives to avoid worshiping God. Of course we are too sophisticated to erect graven images to worship—instead we worship cars and money and fame and pleasure. But it is no less idolatry because it lacks a physical representation to which people bow down.

We sometimes hear about a “war on Christmas” but what is really going on is a war on God. The proper response for us is not to go to war but to go to worship and witness. When our hearts are right with God and our evangelism is strong, we will see fruit in our society. Remember that with just ten righteous people Sodom would have been spared—but Lot’s desire for prosperity was stronger than his heart for God, and tragedy came as a result.

“Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.”

Matthew 4:8–10

You would have thought that Jerome Moody was safe that summer day in 1985. He was attending a party held by the New Orleans Recreation Department attended by more than one hundred lifeguards. They were gathered to celebrate a year in which no one had drowned in any of the city pools. But when the lifeguards (there were four on duty in addition to those attending the party as guests) began clearing the pool at the end of the day, they found the body of the thirty-one year old man drowned at the bottom of the pool. What began as a celebration ended as a tragedy because people did not keep their focus on what mattered most.

Satan is always looking for ways to draw our attention away from God and substitute something else in His rightful place. It doesn’t matter if the thing he uses is something good—as long as it takes God off the throne of our hearts, the devil is perfectly happy. One of his key temptations is the one he tried on Jesus, tempting Him to avoid the cross by worshiping Satan instead. Jesus responded as He did to all three temptations by quoting the Word of God, and focusing on the sole worship of God as our duty.

At this busy season of the year, the temptation is to lose our rightful focus on the Christ of Christmas. The enemy gains a great victory if presents, parties, and celebrations keep us from worshiping Jesus. Make sure that nothing takes His place.

“The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.”

Revelation 4:10–11

Before a crucial battle during the Third Crusade, Phillip II of France came up with a unique means of motivating his soldiers. He took his royal crown off and placed it on a table, announcing that after the battle the crown would be given to the one who demonstrated the greatest courage and contributed the most to the victory. When the king had led his soldiers to a great triumph and the fighting ended, one of the nobles took the crown and placed it back on the king’s head saying, “Thou, O king, art the most worthy.”

One day when we see Jesus in Heaven, we will finally be able to fully comprehend the magnificent glory and majesty of our Saviour. Though we read of His glory in the Bible, our finite minds cannot truly understand His greatness. But when we are in His presence, all that will be changed. And those who have served Jesus faithfully will be able to honor Him by returning to Him the trophies and crowns that He generously gives to us for our service.

He is high and lifted up, and our greatest glory in Heaven will be to join the host praising Jesus. Before the world was created the plan was in place for Jesus to come to Earth as our Saviour. His birth, life, death, and resurrection demonstrate the extent of God’s love for us, and give us the hope of eternal life. One day all who know Him will unite to crown Him Lord of all.

“And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.”

Philippians 3:9–11

Noted author and devotional writer S. D. Gordon told a wonderful story of an elderly woman who had walked with God all of her life. In her youth she had committed large portions of Scripture to memory, but advancing age took away much of what she had learned. Eventually the only verse she could remember and would say over and over again was: “I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day” (2 Timothy 1:12).

As time continued to pass even that verse began to slip away, but still she could be heard repeating in a whisper, “That which I have committed unto him.” At the very end as she lay on her deathbed, her family saw her lips moving. Leaning close to hear what she might say, they found that she was softly repeating one word over and over again: “Him, Him, Him.” She held fast to the most important piece of knowledge there is.

In the Upper Room, the night before His crucifixion, Jesus prayed, “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent” (John 17:3). The central message of Christmas is that Jesus came as our Saviour so that we could have hope of salvation and an eternal relationship with God. We must never neglect this primary truth—that it is all about Jesus. The more that we learn of Him, the more we will love Him.

“And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”

Mark 8:34–36

In addition to his work as a director of the Bank of England and his position as chairman of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway, Josiah Stamp was an active lay preacher. Noted as one of England’s leading economic experts, he was often asked to speak on financial topics. Not long before he was killed in the German bombing of London in 1941, Lord Stamp was asked to address a gathering concerning the gold standard and its impact on the future economic prospects of the nation.

At the conclusion of his speech, Stamp said, “Before I finish, I should like to say one other thing, and it is this: I have not the smallest interest in what I have been talking about tonight; not the slightest interest in this or any other scale of values excepting only as it may subserve that other scale of values introduced into this planet by Jesus of Nazareth. That is the one and only scale of values which ultimately matters, and which no man now listening to my voice can ever afford to ignore on peril of his soul.”

There is no field of endeavor in which success is a substitute for knowing and following Jesus Christ. And there is no purpose more important for us as His followers than to take the Good News of His birth, life, death, and resurrection to others.

“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

John 14:26–27

The message of the angels that first Christmas night of “peace on earth” is a promise that has not yet been fulfilled. We live in a world filled with hatred, violence, conflict, and war. Yet God’s promise of peace, like all of His promises is certain. And while we who know Him can have peace even in a troubled world, one day Jesus will rule a perfectly peaceful world.

In a Christmas sermon titled “The Child in the Manger” T. DeWitt Talmage said, “Have you ever thought how strangely this song of peace must have sounded to the Roman Empire? Why, that Roman Empire gloried in its arms, and boasted of the number of men it had slain, and with triumph looked at conquered provinces. Their highest honors had been bestowed upon Fabius and Scipio and Caesar. It was men of blood and carnage that they honored. With what contempt they must have looked upon a kingdom the chief principle of which was to be goodwill to men, and upon the unarmed, penniless Christ, who, in Nazarene garb, was about to start out for the conquest of the nations.”

We do not have to wait for some future date to enjoy God’s peace. Paul wrote, “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful” (Colossians 3:15). Each day we can make the choice to live in peace, no matter what the world around us is experiencing.

“And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”

Luke 2:9–11

The shepherds outside Bethlehem on the night Christ was born were receiving the best news the world had ever heard. Yet their immediate response to the appearance of an angel was not joy, but fear. Yet the angel offered them comfort, and then words of “great joy.” From their trembling they were about to receive a celebratory announcement.

Charles Spurgeon said, “Earth’s joy is small, her mirth is trivial, but heaven has sent us joy immeasurable, fit for immortal minds. Inasmuch as no note of time is appended, and no intimation is given that the message will ever be reversed, we may say that it is a lasting joy, a joy which will ring all down the ages, the echoes of which shall be heard until the trumpet brings the resurrection; aye, and onward for ever and for ever. O blessed thought! the Star of Bethlehem shall never set. Jesus, the fairest among ten thousand, the most lovely among the beautiful, is a joy for ever.”

Today we look across a span of two thousand years, but the message has not changed. The same joy that greeted the arrival of Jesus is in our hearts today as fruit of the Holy Spirit. The message of salvation and a restored relationship with God is just as true and just as important as it was when the angel first declared it. Our task this Christmas season is to go forth and proclaim the good news that there is joy because Jesus is born.

“And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.”

Luke 2:16–18

The message of Christmas is simply too good not to share. When the shepherds went to Bethlehem and found the baby Jesus just as the angel had told them, they did not keep the news to themselves. Instead they told everyone they could about what had happened. They were excited about the news of the birth of the Saviour. Though it happened two thousand years ago, the news should be just as exciting to us today—and we should be just as faithful to share it with others.

In a Christmas letter dictated just a few days before his death, Dr. John Rice said, “I want no Christmas without a burden for lost souls, a message for sinners, a heart to bring in the lost sheep so dear to the Shepherd, the sinning souls for whom Christ died. May food be tasteless, and music a discord, and Christmas a farce if I forget the dying millions to whom I am debtor; if this fire in my bones does not still flame! Not till I die or not till Jesus comes, will I ever be eased of this burden, these tears, this toil to save souls.”

There is no more important message that we can take to a world in need than the true message of Christmas. There are a lot of things people want, but the one thing they need above all else is a Saviour. God’s plan is for us to be the ones who offer them the hope found in the story of the birth of Jesus Christ.

“And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good.”

Isaiah 7:13–15

In 1823 one of the most famous American poems ever written was published under the title “A Visit from St. Nicholas.” Better known by its opening line, “‘Twas the night before Christmas,” the poem depicts a fanciful version of an imagined visit from Santa Claus. But while the world may be focused on mythical flying reindeer and a jolly old elf who brings presents, we have something far more important to remember at Christmas.

Before Jesus came, the world was trapped in darkness and sin. It was truly night in the world, for because of sin, man had been separated from God and had no hope of saving himself. The devil loves darkness, and he did everything possible to prevent God’s plan—but He was defeated. When Jesus was born, the Light broke the power of the dark forever. John wrote, “In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not” (John 1:4–5)

The darkness cannot overcome the light, but the message of the light only spreads when we tell others about the good news. When Jesus returned to Heaven He assigned the task of spreading the gospel to His followers. Paul wrote, “That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world” (Philippians 2:15). Do your part today to spread light across a darkened world.

“Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.”

Matthew 2:1–3

When the wise men arrived in Jerusalem looking for Jesus they turned the town upside down. Though Herod had been installed by the Romans, he was not popular with the majority of the people. His erratic and cruel behavior kept people constantly on edge in fear of their lives. News that there might be a potential rival to the hated ruler was certain to start a firestorm of rumors and gossip.

Yet in the midst of that chaos, there is a very striking statement from the wise men. They asked for the one “born King of the Jews.” The normal expression or title for the child who is born as heir to a throne is not a king, but a prince. From the very moment of His birth, Jesus was already King. He was, is, and always will be king for God exists outside of time. John wrote, “These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful” (Revelation 17:14).

Our world today is badly in need of a renewed appreciation for who Jesus is. He is not merely a good man or a teacher who came to leave us an example to follow. Jesus is the Lord and King and we must come to Him on His terms, or we do not come to Him at all.

“And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.”

Revelation 14:1–3

There are so many wonderful things about Heaven that all of the books in the world could not contain them, and even if they were written down, our finite minds could not grasp the infinite wonder that awaits us in eternity. But the great glory of Heaven is not a golden street, or gates carved from pearls, or even foundations made of precious stones. Instead, it is the wonderful presence of the Son of God.

Charles Spurgeon said, “Beloved, if we were allowed to look within the vail which parts us from the world of spirits, we should see, first of all, the person of our Lord Jesus. If now we could go where the immortal spirits day without night circle the throne rejoicing, we should see each of them with their faces turned in one direction; and if we should step up to one of the blessed spirits, and say, ‘O bright immortal, why are thine eyes fixed? What is it that absorbs thee quite, and wraps thee up in vision?’ He, without deigning to give an answer, would simply point to the centre of the sacred circle, and lo, we should see a Lamb in the midst of the throne. They have not yet ceased to admire His beauty, and marvel at His wonders and adore His person.”

“Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty. Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain: Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters: who maketh the clouds his chariot: who walketh upon the wings of the wind: Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire:”

Psalm 104:1–4

Sir Robert Grant was born in India in 1779 where his father served as director of the East India Company. After returning to England for his education, Grant took a seat in Parliament where he served for a number of years before returning to India to take the position of governor of Bombay. An ardent supporter of missionaries and mission work, Grant also was a gifted poet. Challenged and stirred by the words of Psalm 104, he wrote a great hymn of worship and praise:

O Worship the King all glorious above!
O gratefully sing his power and his love,
Our Shield and Defender, the Ancient of days,
Pavilioned in splendor, and girded with praise.

Frail children of dust, and feeble as frail,
In thee do we trust, nor find thee to fail;
Thy mercies how tender, how firm to the end,
Our Maker, Defender, Redeemer, and Friend.

The God of the Bible is very different from the God our culture pictures. The prophet Isaiah wrote, “In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple” (Isaiah 6:1). If we do not see God as exalted, we are not really seeing Him at all. Our world, and our own hearts, urgently need a vision of the true nature and character of God. We cannot grasp His greatness with our finite minds, but we can acknowledge His rightful claim as Ruler of all.

“Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”

Philippines 3:12–14

At a time of year when people are talking about making resolutions for the coming year, it is right that we examine our commitments. The calling of Jesus Christ is that we follow Him. The first disciples heard that call and left behind everything that mattered most to them up to that point, whether it was fishing boats or tax collection tables. Our eyes should be fixed on the future, and we should walk in obedience day by day.

Jonathan Edwards wrote, “I have given myself clear away and not retained anything of my own. I have been to God this morning and told Him I have given myself wholly to Him. I have given every power, so that for the future I claim no right to myself in any respect. I have expressly promised Him, for by His grace I will not fail. I take Him as my whole portion and felicity, looking upon nothing else as any part of my happiness. His law is the constant rule of my obedience.”

Most of the Christian life is not major confrontations with evil or mountaintop spiritual experiences. Most of the Christian life is simple, daily obedience. When we make the commitment to do what God tells us to do and follow it day by day, our lives will be pleasing in His sight.

“I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye. Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee. Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the LORD, mercy shall compass him about.”

Psalm 32:8–10

Because she lost her sight when she was very young, Fanny Crosby was not able to work to support herself. Though she made some money from the sale of her poems and hymns, there were times when she had great needs. One of her best-loved hymns came from such a moment in her life. She was in financial difficulty, and went to the Lord in prayer. Just minutes after she finished praying, a stranger knocked on her door and handed her the exact amount she had asked God to provide. Fanny Crosby said, “I have no way of accounting for this except to believe that God put it into the heart of this good man to bring the money. My first thought was that it is so wonderful the way the Lord leads me, and I immediately wrote the poem.”

All the way my Savior leads me-
What have I to ask beside?
Can I doubt His tender mercy,
Who through life has been my guide?

Heavenly peace, divinest comfort,
Here by faith in Him to dwell!
For I know, whate’er befall me,
Jesus doeth all things well.

The presence of difficulty in our lives does not always mean that we have strayed from the right path. We need to be as willing to follow God in the darkness as we are in the light. When difficulty comes, let us fix our eyes on Him and draw closer rather than drawing away.

“And they commanded the people, saying, When ye see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then ye shall remove from your place, and go after it. Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure: come not near unto it, that ye may know the way by which ye must go: for ye have not passed this way heretofore.”

Joshua 3:3–4

Alfred, Lord Tennyson, was staying near Waltham Abbey Church not long after the death of his close friend, Arthur Henry Hallam, who had been engaged to marry Tennyson’s sister. It was near the end of a very trying year, and during a severe storm, Tennyson heard the bells of the church ringing wildly in the wind. Setting pen to paper he wrote:

Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,
The flying cloud, the frosty light
The year is dying in the night;
Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.
Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.

We are about to begin a new year. While we do not know all that it holds, we know that there will be hills and valleys, triumphs and defeats, gain and loss. There will be both tears and rejoicing. And the one thing that we know with complete certainty is that God knows the way. Nothing that will happen to us will take Him by surprise. Nothing will force Him to shift to a backup plan or have to figure out a solution. Since we have His wisdom and perfect love, our task is to simply follow Him. Rather than trying to force our own way, we must simply follow the Shepherd, and all will be well.

“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.”

Revelation 21:4–5

Charles Spurgeon said, “There has been so much evil about ourselves and our old nature, so much sin about our life and the old past, so much mischief about our surroundings and the old temptations, that we are not distressed by the belief that old things are passing away. Hope springs up at the first sound of such words as these from the lips of our risen and reigning Lord: ‘Behold, I make all things new.’ It is fit that things so outworn and defiled should be laid aside, and better things fill their places.”

A new year is a time for new beginnings. There will be new opportunities for service to God, to witness to the lost, to love family and friends, and to let our lights shine in the world. The only difference between a year in which we walk with God and a year in which we do not is the choices that we make day by day to either yield to the Holy Spirit and allow Him to control our lives or to go our own way. The course of a year is not set all at once, but day by day by day.

Facing the opportunities of a new year—the ones we already know about and the ones that will come during the year—we should commit to seizing them for God’s glory. We do not have to be bound by the mistakes and failures of the past. We can and should commit ourselves anew to doing all that we can for God’s kingdom.

“For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building. According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”

1 Corinthians 3:9–11

The first proposal to build a canal across Panama to shorten the distance ships had to travel from the Atlantic to the Pacific was made in the 1500s, but the first serious effort did not begin until 1881. A French team began the effort but the dangerous mountainous terrain and the even more deadly jungle diseases, particularly malaria, proved too much. After spending nearly $300,000,000 the project was abandoned. In 1904 a United States construction team took over the project, and ten years later one of the greatest engineering feats in history was complete. Rather than allowing the obstacles to deter them, they kept building until the job was done.

While each of us has different talents and abilities, we are all building on the same foundation—Jesus Christ. He is the basis of everything that we have, everything we are, and everything we do. One of the great challenges that Christians face in our day is a careless and aimless drift through life. Too many have been content with the firm foundation and neglected their responsibility to build something eternal with their time, treasure, and talents.

The year before us has great potential and opportunity, but that will only be realized if we are faithful to build on what has already been done rather than deciding to be content and rest on our laurels. Longfellow wrote, “The heights by great men reached and kept were not attained by sudden flight, but they, while their companions slept, were toiling upward through the night.”

“So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto mount Carmel. And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.”

1 Kings 18:20–21

The confrontation between the prophet Elijah and the false prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel is one of the most dramatic scenes in all of history. A single man devoted to God facing down an evil king and hundreds of men who worshiped idols is riveting. Despite more than three years without rain, the people of Israel still had not turned back to Jehovah. As Elijah pointed out in his question to them, they were trying to follow both God and Baal.

The word halt used here is not the word for slowing down, but rather the word for being crippled. Refusing to fully commit to following and serving God prevents us from making progress in our growth and work for Him. James wrote, “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways” (James 1:8). Trying to cling to the world leaves us unable to cling to God as we should. As a result we cannot build anything worthwhile and lasting, for no real work for God can be done in our own strength.

The devil will always present us with alternatives to rely fully on God and loving Him with all our hearts. Satan has no objection to divided worship, for he knows that if he can pull partly away from God, our service will be hindered, and eventually we will go completely away from Him. A significant part of our growth in grace comes when our focus is on God alone. The Apostle Paul said, “This one thing I do” (Philippians 3:13), and he devoted his entire life to building the church and sharing the gospel.

“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.”

Hebrews 11:6–7

When God told Noah to build an ark to save his family and the animals from the destruction of the flood, the command had no point of reference. It didn’t rain before the flood, and there was no logical reason to build a huge boat where there was no water. The people around Noah had no belief or fear of God and doing something He commanded made no sense to them.

Yet despite the rejection of everyone around him and the lack of evidence for his faith, Noah proceeded to do exactly what God had told him to do. The ark took more than one hundred years to complete, but Noah continued to build. The only reason for his persistence and eventual success was his faith. No growth in our personal lives or in our ministries and work for God happens apart from faith. It is not through our talents and abilities that we do great things for Him, but through His power which we access through faith.

Faith is not self-confidence or positive thinking, but rather a complete dependence and reliance on God to do the things that He has promised in His Word. Some people today declare their wishes or desires and call it faith, but real faith is based on the Bible. When we act on our belief in what God has said, we are able to accomplish His purposes for our lives.

“For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh. But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.”

Galatians 6:13–14

Johann Sebastian Bach is widely regarded as one of the most gifted composers of all time. He wrote hundreds of choral pieces and cantatas for churches across Germany in addition to secular and teaching works. Before Bach began writing a piece of music for church, he wrote J.J. (Jesu juva—Jesus help me) at the top of the blank score. When he completed his work, at the bottom he wrote S.D.G. (Soli Deo Gloria—to the glory of God alone). This phrase was more than a slogan to Bach; it was a fitting summation of his purpose in his life and work.

God has work in mind for each of us to do. In fact the Bible tells us that this was part of His plan even before we were born. The Apostle Paul wrote, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10). The works that we do are important to God’s plan for our world, and they are not meant to bring glory to us but to Him.

Jesus laid out this priority in the Sermon on the Mount. “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). The purpose of our lives and ministry is not our glorification but His. When we approach our work with this attitude it not only keeps us humble but also encourages us to be faithful throughout our lives.