Week 1 | Joy
Have you ever really wanted a gift before? Maybe it was for a birthday, Mother’s day, an anniversary, or for the season we are currently celebrating, Christmas. Have you ever wanted the gift so bad that it is all you seem to talk about? It somehow makes its way into every conversation and environment you find yourself in? You aren’t trying to be obnoxious, you just genuinely desire your gift that badly.
Well, my oldest son has found himself in this conundrum. He desperately wants a particular superhero toy from the Marvel Cinematic universe. He has talked about this toy for 3 months straight and has every day for the past 2 months asked us how many days there are until Christmas, in hopes that he will on that momentous day unwrap that special toy he has been longing for.
He doesn’t know this, but his aunt bought him the toy. We are all so excited to present him with this gift, we know on that day he is going to unwrap his gift, scream with excitement, jump on the couch, and proceed to play with this toy for hours on end. All other gifts will pale in comparison, and he will be occupied and satisfied for days. But… I know that joy will run out. I know my son, and I know the novelty of the toy will run out and the toy he once saw as special and as the greatest gift ever, will soon become common, it will soon become white noise. It will, most likely, have very little impact on his day to day living.
Has that ever happened to you? Have you ever wanted something really bad, you receive it, then after a while you lose the joy of having that gift? Maybe it’s a relationship you wanted, a job, or to start a family. After a while, you no longer view it as a gift, you may even view it as a burden. I wonder, have you ever found yourself here with your relationship with Jesus? You so badly wanted healing, and forgiveness, restoration, and you actually received it. Yet it was only a little while later that you realized you’ve lost the joy of being saved, you’ve lost the joy of being healed, you’ve lost the joy of being redeemed.
If that’s you, no need to feel shame, or guilt, or condemnation. King David also had this experience. He was known as a man after God’s own heart, but even he after a while got comfortable and complacent, even he forgot how much of a joy it was and is to be saved and loved by God. This led him to one of the most grievous sins of the Bible, his adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband to cover up his tracks. The prophet Nathan confronted David, he repented and prayed this prayer: “Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.”
This is the same prayer I offer to you. In this season of reflecting on the birth of Jesus, the gift of salvation being brought into the world, the embodiment of Love being born in flesh; may it remind you to never grow cold towards his gift, may it challenge you to remain grateful and full of joy in your relationship with Jesus. And if you find that joy beginning to fade, as it does from time to time, I invite you to pray along with David: “Jesus, restore in me, the joy of your salvation, restore in me the joy of knowing you and being known by you, of loving you, and being loved by you.” – Aaron D. Judkins
Week 2 | Presence
Thoughts of Christmas often bring those “warm and fuzzy” feelings, don’t they? I can’t help but smile as I think back to when my boys were little, more excited to see what was in their stockings than what was under the tree. I remember the quiet early mornings by the lit Christmas tree, my coffee in hand and Bible open, savoring the peace before the day began. Our favorite family traditions like driving around to see Christmas lights and ordering Chinese food on Christmas Day still bring a deep sense of joy.
Those warm memories remind me of everything I love about Christmas, the cozy traditions, the joy of little moments, and the sense of wonder in the air. But isn’t it interesting how life in the middle of the season can feel so different? Instead of peace and joy, we often find ourselves overwhelmed by endless to-do lists, stretched by the demands of the holidays, or even carrying the ache of missing someone we love. The season that promises comfort can sometimes feel anything but.
Sometimes, we find ourselves disappointed because we’re looking for comfort in all the wrong places. Don’t get me wrong—I love Christmas lights, cookies, sweaters, and presents as much as anyone. They bring a lot of happiness in the moment. But I’ve realized something: the comfort they bring doesn’t last. The joy fades as soon as reality hits, whether it’s a stressful errand or a crowded grocery store in December. These things, as sweet as they are, aren’t designed to sustain us.
Thankfully, the real reason for the season offers something far greater. Matthew 1:23 reminds us of the incredible truth: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).
And that’s where we find true comfort, not in the temporary joys of the season, but in the eternal presence of God. He doesn’t just watch from a distance; He entered our world, experiencing life as we do. Jesus came as Immanuel—God with us. He knows our joys, our sorrows, and even the weight of our burdens. He is present because He walked in our shoes, and He is present because His love for us is personal.
In His presence, we experience a love that never fails, a peace that quiets our hearts, and a strength that carries us through. Healing is found in His presence. Clarity is gained, and security is restored. That’s the kind of comfort we all long for, a comfort that doesn’t fade or falter when life gets hard.
This Christmas, what if we focused less on chasing comfort in what fades and more on abiding in His presence? When we take time to seek Him first, we can savor the season with a renewed sense of joy and peace. In His presence, we find not only comfort but the joy and strength we need to live loved, no matter what the season brings.
-Surima Duckworth
So, this year, let’s remember: the greatest gift of Christmas is the comfort of God’s presence, the true light of the season.
Week 3 | Promises
I have found that the greatest contributor to stress and anxiety in my life is uncertainty. Whether it is my work or my health, my family‘s well-being, the plans for my future or my calling in life, the most challenging part of living is stepping into the unknown. The fear of what may come has caused many, including myself, to try to grasp control in as many areas as possible. However, as I am sure you have come to experience: control is an illusion. You cannot control life’s outcomes nor can you control the behavior of others. What can be controlled is your spirit in the midst of it all.
In Isaiah 9:6 the Bible says: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
I can take great comfort In the fact that Jesus is a God of ‘will’ not ‘might’. God, through his word, promises that his Son WILL be called wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting father, Prince of peace. It isn’t wishful thinking. There is no ‘maybe’ in this text. The God of the universe gives us an assurance that no matter the present circumstances or your lot in life that Jesus will be consistently wonderful, mighty, and everlasting. Choose, in this season of your life, to find comfort in the promises of God.
Earlier this year, I had surgery on my elbow. The medical staff was more than capable to care for me and extremely patient with a nervous first timer. After my procedure, they gave me a cast and reminded me that if I rested, my elbow ‘will’ heal. Not only would I heal, but I’d experience little to no pain in the future. Isn’t God just like that? Each of us have experienced some hardship or difficulty in life that God is more than capable of addressing! And when we rest in his truth and faithful, patient love, we experience his peace!
The invitation of this season is not to grasp for control, but the cling to Jesus: Our Prince of Peace!
– Berchman Paul
Week 4 | Love
One of the special things about the Christmas season is the way every year ushers in the nostalgia and memory of Christmases gone by. After years of waiting for Santa to bring presents, everyone eventually matures to get to be Santa for someone else. Yet, as exciting as it is to wait for presents each Christmas morning, the tradition of Santa could also bring some anxiety. Am I on the nice list or the naughty list? I remember the time I didn’t share, or I cut in line, or I told a lie. Did I do enough nice things this year to make up for the naughty things I did? Hopefully, your Santa Claus was kind enough to bring you a gift instead of a clump of coal.
Unfortunately, there are many people in our world who expect God to act the same way, except it can feel like everything wrong we do is amplified. “There’s no way God can accept me, forgive me, or love me when He saw what I did there, or what I looked at there, or what I said to that person.” Praise God that He doesn’t act like Santa Claus. Romans 5 tells us that in the middle of all the wrong things we’ve done, God’s love was greater than our sinfulness to the point that Christ died for us. Listen to the words in verses 1 and 2 that describe the great gifts God has given us through Jesus:
- Justification, meaning we stand before God with no more charge of sin
- Peace with God
- Access to God through faith
- Grace
- Hope of glory
More than this, we can trust God’s love is consistent toward us in all circumstances. Verses 3 through 5 show us that even when life feels like we’ve been given a lump of coal, God is actually using that difficulty, or suffering, to produce something greater in us. Yet, with all these great gifts we receive through Jesus, the greatest is that we have been reconciled with God through Christ. This means that no matter our circumstances, we can be confident God is with us to bring us comfort, peace, joy, and love.
Maybe this Christmas season, you’ve felt the need to measure out your year to see if you’ve been naughty or nice. Through faith in Jesus, we can be confident that God has forgotten our sin; it’s as far as the east is from the west! Of course, it’s good for us to aim to make each year better than the previous, but this Christmas season, may you forget your sin the same way God has and may you take hold of the great gift of God’s love we have been given through Christ Jesus.
– Jon Roundsville