Magnified Hope and Love
Good Morning Friends,
Soon the anticipation of Christmas will be replaced with the light and warmth of Christ’s love with us symbolized in the lighting of candles this Christmas Eve. Indeed Christ coming to take up residence inside us is the reason for this season and is Magnified Hope and Love.
Scripture: To [his saints] God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Colossians 1:27 (NRSV)
And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord
Luke 1:46 (ESV)
In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see–I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and 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 heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!” When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
Luke 2:1-20 (NRSV)
Message: Everyone needs hope and love. Hope gives us a direction and love makes the journey enjoyable. Hope is not usually associated with Christmas as much as with Easter and yet I think it a worthy exercise to look at hope through the lens of the birth of Christ which I have been doing during Advent. Indeed God often used the small and discarded to bring the greatest glory… the greatest hope…the greatest love. So if we look at scripture in the New Testament we discover that indeed Christ is our hope. Without Him we would not have anything to hope for beyond the imperfection of our lives. But the God of hope fills us with joy and peace in believing. Here we experience the lasting joy and peace that comes from within when we hope in God to bring us good tidings. So this Christmas Eve sing songs of hope. Ring out the hope of the events to come and light the way for others to rise up and follow in the Way of Hope.
Pray we hope in the Glory of the Lord. Pray, as in heaven, for those who have no hope because they do not know Christ’s love magnified in us. Pray we realize that hope is given to us by God. Pray we recognize false hopes. Pray that in our hope we serve by faith beyond ourselves, to the lives of others in charity. Pray we are saved by faith in hope not just in the Messiah being born but now for the redemption of our bodies and the receiving of our spiritual inheritance. Pray for a living hope that arises out of the assurance of our salvation…a hope that is stirred up within us by the Spirit of God as we celebrate Christmas… a hope that is purifying us, making us better…helping us to realizes that when the time has fully come God will again send His son.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 