by Leigh Ann Dilley on December 19, 2023
The first week was rich as we positioned the posture of our hearts toward Jesus. During the second week of the Emmanuel Devotional, we moved onto examining the promises of God. The birth of Jesus was no accident. It was God's promise all along. It is hard to experience all the magnitude of Christmas if we do not understand the grace and mercy of God's beautiful plan of redemption.
Joseph and Mary trusted the prophecy of the Messiah. They may not have completely understood all that would happen to them, but they understood they were part of a story of hope and rescue. On Day 7 of the devotional, we studied relationships. God created the world and everything in it. He remains fully in control of all He created. if we rely on our own self-confidence and gain a false sense of control, it's easy to lose sight of this. God called all He created good, and His creation was designed to demonstrate His character and to give Him glory' that includes us! Creation is linked to Christmas because from the beginning, we were meant to have a close fellowship with Jesus.
Next, we moved to the promise of a Wonderful Savior. To truly appreciate the magnitude of a Savior, just imagine your life without one! Life would be incredibly messy. Adam and Eve enjoyed the presence of God until they sinned and were sent out of the Garden, away from God's presence. The birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus made it possible for us to be within God's presence again. Our Savior provided the way out of despair.
There are times God allows us to feel the pain and consequences of sin so that we might surrender to Him. During this busy season, God desires our surrender more than our hard work. Jesus came to us first. When we surrender to Him, we discover the miracle of Christmas.
God's tendency is to show us mercy. Therefore, the promise of a Messiah was there from the beginning. Sin broke the intimate relationship God desired to have with us. Christmas is the day we remember Jesus' birth; but the true meaning of Christmas lies in what Jesus did for us on the cross! The resurrection of Christ is the most meaningful event Christians celebrate! The resurrection is when the bondage of sin was broke and gave us a Redeemer!
We all may have earthly concerns, but now have hope because of the resurrection. And, since that day, nothing has been the same.
When we trust the redemptive work of Christ, our lives go through transformation. The gift of the Holy Spirit allows us to have Emmanuel: God with us, all the time. The fruit of redemption is not to get a new set of circumstances, but an improved outlook. The Holy Spirit was given to us to continue to grow our faith, so we become more like Jesus. The true gift of Christmas is that we receive a new identity as sons and daughters of God and become heirs to inherit God's Kingdom
And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, 'Abba, Father.'"
— Galatians 4:6
