Greetings to all, as we continue the themes of Advent, and we count down to the time when we pause to celebrate the first and now anticipated waiting of Christ's second coming. We have reached the last and fourth Sunday theme of Joy. May our hearts overflow with the Joy, hope, love, and peace that comes with His birth. Amen
No matter when or how it's done across the world, celebrating Christ's birth is supposed to be a happy and joyous time, but because of the COVID pandemic virus that has gripped the world, chaos seems to be the theme of what is supposed to be a joyful season. It has brought with it mask-wearing, social distancing, poverty, hunger, physical and mental illness, and death.
But, you know what, this is not new. It's unique to our generation! We can look as far back as in the book of Exodus; the earth suffered from plagues because of Pharaoh’s hardened heart. Fast forward to the early nineteenth century; the world was struck in 1918 with the Spanish flu pandemic that brought with it the same devastations.
There is a message of hope for the hurting, "Joy to the world"! The world survived then, and we will survive now. God keeps His promises; we must be patient and wait on the Lord because He will help us solve our problems or give us the strength to endure them.
More importantly, God will not leave us alone doing our problems; He will stay close and help us have Joy as we grow in our waiting.
James 1:2-6 (NIV)
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds,
3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.
4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.
6 But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
Lesson: We belong to the God of hope. So, no matter what we find ourselves faced with individually or collectively, as God's people, may we be filled with over-flowing Joy and peace as we trust in Him (ref. Romans 13:5).
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