The week after Thanksgiving, most of us fall into one of three groups: those who are feeling great about our Christmas preparation progress, those who are trying not to panic, and those who are blissfully optimistic that Santa and his elves will make, wrap, and deliver the perfect gifts for their loved ones on Christmas Eve. 

When you’re buried neck-deep in shopping lists, tangled tiny lights, and wrapping paper, it’s easy to lose sight of why God the Son came to earth and was born in that Bethlehem stable. 

I’ve got good news for you—He didn’t come just to give you more to do every December. 

“The next day [John] saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!’” (John 1:29)

In this verse, John the Baptist proclaims one reason the Son of God walked on earth—to be the Lamb of God who takes away our sin. 

The Lamb of God lived the perfect life. God’s justice requires a perfect sacrifice—a spotless lamb without blemish. Jesus Christ perfectly obeyed His Father and met the standard of righteousness that we fail to reach. 

The Lamb of God died for you. Romans 8:32 says, “God did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all.” After living the perfect life, Jesus Christ took the punishment for your sin as He suffered and died on the cross. 

The Lamb of God rose again. First Corinthians 15:55 reminds us that the Lamb of God defeated death for us: “Oh death, where is your victory?” Jesus Christ rose again, proving His power to give eternal life to His redeemed people. 

In His life, death, and resurrection, the Lamb of God accomplished all that was required for your redemption. He came with a mission, and He completed it. Now that’s a reason to rejoice as we prepare to celebrate His birth!  

No matter what you face this week, Jesus came to be a redeeming sacrifice for you. 

Share

I used to think I was good at keeping promises, and then I had kids. 

I want to be faithful to my word, and I try to not make promises I can’t keep. But sometimes, I start the day saying, “Sure, I can play chess with you today.” Then each of the day’s tasks takes longer than I expected. The afternoon gets longer, and my temper gets shorter. All of a sudden, it’s 5:30. I should be fixing dinner, but I’m fighting the temptation to hide in my closet with a pint of Halo Top ice cream. The last thing I want to do at that moment sit across a chess board from a chatty 13-year-old. 

As I strive to be faithful to my promises, my trust is not in my own faithfulness – and this is great news! My faith is in the faithfulness of One who always keeps His promises. 

“God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?” (Numbers 23:19)

God is not like us. He doesn’t lie; He doesn’t change His mind. He never fails to follow through. He’s never stumped by an obstacle on His way to keeping a promise. If He says it, He will do it. Each and every one of His promises will be perfectly fulfilled. 

When God promises to help us, we can depend on His help (Psalm 121:2). When He says He will strengthen us and hold us, He can and will do it (Isaiah 41:10). When He says He will wipe every tear from our eyes, we can count on a glorious future with Him (Revelation 21:4). 

No matter what you face this week, anchor your faith in the faithfulness of your Heavenly Father. 

Share

Have you ever had a moment when you felt confident you belonged? Or a moment when you were certain that you didn’t? 

A few years ago, I attended a conference for Christian writers and speakers for the first time. I knew almost no one, and I felt so alone and awkward that I spent a couple of the break times hiding in my car! A year later, I attended the same conference again—and this time, I was meeting up with friends. I felt a strong sense of belonging as I swapped stories with other writers and spent time getting to know them better. At one point, I texted my husband and told him, “These are my people.”

God created us with a desire to belong. And while we have moments when that longing is fulfilled, there are other times when we feel lonely, less than, or left behind. Even in the midst of connecting at the conference, there were moments when I was still the awkward girl hovering on the outskirts of a conversation, waiting to be invited in. 

Our desire to belong will never be fully satisfied by our human relationships. It is meant to point us to the One who says we belong to Him. 

“Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” (1 Peter 2:10)

God calls us His people. Not because of our impressive resume or sparkling personality, but only because of the perfect record of His Son. God, in His mercy, covers us with Christ’s righteousness and makes us His people. 

When you long to belong, find comfort in knowing you are the Lord’s. He has made you His people by His mercy. He gave His Son so that you could be His child. He brings you into His family and says, “You are Mine.” 

No matter what you face this week, because of God’s mercy, you are now His people. 

Share

A few years ago, I lost something of great value. My laptop crashed and was beyond repair. I lost several documents, most of which could be reconstructed. But I was devastated to learn I’d lost a year’s worth of photos and videos. They were irreplaceable, and they were gone. 

The local repair shop couldn’t salvage anything. Then we learned of a company that would be likely to get many of the photos off the damaged hard drive. But it was expensive. When I told my husband the cost, he said: “There’s no price we can put on those photos. Do it.” Thankfully, the data retrieval company returned almost all of my priceless memories. 

“Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in Him.” (Philippians 3:8-9a)

The apostle Paul, author of these verses, gave up everything to follow Christ: his reputation, his standing in the Jewish community, his pedigree of law-keeping and service, his safety, and his freedom. Why would he make such a costly sacrifice? Because Paul knew no reputation, no position, no comfort, no riches would be a precious as His Savior. The worth of knowing Christ surpasses anything else this world can offer. 

Photos are precious to me, and I grieved when I thought I’d lost them. However, knowing Christ is more valuable than my most priceless possession. More valuable than my home, my health, my freedom, or even my family. The treasure of knowing Christ is freely given and cannot be taken away. When we suffer loss or hardship, we can cling to the treasure that can’t be taken from us—the surpassing worth of knowing our Lord and Savior. 

No matter what you face this week, remember nothing compares to the worth of knowing Jesus Christ. 

Share