584 Whereto From Here: A Christmas Reminder   

KEY SCRIPTURE  Isaiah 7:14 & Isaiah 9:6 

Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

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. 

RELEVANCE

Well, how did yesterday go for you? Plenty of food, drink and lollies? A giant lunch & nibbles followed by an arvo snooze? Yeah, I hear you. 

Whether Jesus was born on December 25 or not, Christmas is always a good time for catching up with others over a hearty meal. We were due to go to Mildura, but a couple of days before we were to leave, the car had a fuel injector problem, requiring us to get them replaced. Also, the bloke we engaged to regas the caravan air conditioner went to the hospital with heart palpitations. So, that didn't get done. 

We took those as signs to stay home. That enabled us to have an early Christmas lunch with our son and his new wife on return from their honeymoon, have another lunch on Christmas Day with a good friend, and do some junk-tossing.  

How has your 2024 been? For some people, Christmas can't come around quickly enough. I know it will go down as a tough, very trying year for many folks. Physical, mental, financial, and relational woes and traumas have hit a lot of people this year. You might be one of them and are hoping for a much better 2025. I hope it is for you. 

For those of us who got through 2024 with relative ease, don't forget those who've had more difficult experiences. I thought the pain in my hip, knee and back was bad until I spoke with a lady who was in three times the pain with similar issues.

For many generations prior to Christ, His birth couldn't happen soon enough. 700-odd years before Christ was born, Isaiah prophesied of His coming. Once people heard that, they waited in hope for their King. 

In 2024-25, we wait in hope for His second coming. But we have the advantage of the Holy Spirit within us. We don't need to wait for anything. Whether it's Christmas Day or any other day of the year, we have the joy, the peace, and all the wonders that come with the Holy Spirit. 

I know from personal experience that if you have Jesus Christ, you get through stuff much more easily. He is there to call on, share with, rely upon, speak to, and seek counsel from through the Word of God. He is my comforter in times of trouble and my celebration in times of joy.  He is much more if we choose to befriend Him.

PRAYER