But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Isaiah 53:5‭-‬6 NIV

I hate it when my kids get sick or hurt. It can be as simple as a cold, or growing pains (my son gets them pretty bad) and it breaks my heart to see them congested, restless or in pain. I hate feeling helpless and constantly wish I could trade places with them. So the idea of them having to go through a greater illness or pain is unthinkable to me.

So whenever I put myself in Mary’s shoes I just about fall apart into a zillion pieces. It probably doesn’t help that I’m an Empath so it becomes very real to me. I mean really, could you imagine raising God’s son, the Savior of the world, only to see people reject him numerous times, try to capture and attack him during his ministry and then finally beat, mock, and watch him be crucified?! Then to top it all off, realize that was God’s plan all along- just so that the same people who reject him would have a chance to accept him, be forgiven and enjoy eternity alongside God. My goodness!!!

This is Jesus. He willingly followed God’s plan for your sake and mine. This is why “Jesus is the reason for the season”.

This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
Romans 3:22‭-‬26 NIV

Jesus was born so that we could be righteous. It’s been God’s will since Creation. It’s a free gift of grace that I personally will never fully comprehend, or thank God enough for.

We live very busy lives, and it’s easy to judge others or be quick with snarky come-backs. I encourage you though as we are in this season of Hope, would you be quick to forgive, to pass along the grace God so freely and lovingly gives you everyday. And my prayer is that it doesn’t end December 26th or 31st. Would you keep this scripture in your heart as you encounter the “difficult” people in your life, and do your very best ( with Jesus’ help) to love your neighbor.

Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. For what the Law could not do being weakened by the flesh, God did: He sent His own Son in the likeness of sinful man as an offering for sin. And He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us who do not live our lives in the ways of the flesh, but in the ways of the Spirit. Romans 8:1‭-‬4

Christmas truly is a special time. It marks the beginning of a series of events that had been prophesied so many years before. Prophets were bold enough to speak into the world what God shared with them and they didn’t even live to see it. And now here we are years and years later with the anticipated birth of the King of Kings, the long-awaited for Messiah, and he’s born to a humble couple among animals. It marks the unlikely beginning of the world’s most epic story.

The story doesn’t end with the death and resurrection of Jesus. It continues dailybin our lives. The countless times God shows us the vastness of His love through His grace, and mercy and forgiveness. It continues in the unique and thoughtful ways God meets our needs, in how He meets us right where we are; even in our prodigal son and Saul moments. We can stand righteously before the Lord because there is NO condemnation through Jesus. Praise God!!

Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Listen carefully, the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and she will call his name Immanuel (God with us). Isaiah 7:14 AMP

When we take a moment to really let Jesus’ names sink in, you can’t help but feel the overwhelming sense of God’s love. You can look up lists of all his name’s and titles and each one has so much love and power behind it. Immanuel is my current favorite. The name was a prophecy given so long before Jesus’ birth. It means “God with us.” It’s a prophetic name showing that God would dwell among his people, fully experiencing and understanding everything humanity goes through. He did this not for his own sake to understand us-He is God our Creator, trust me He knows- He did it so we would understand, so we would really know that He knows us.
Immanuel: the name is yet another one of God’s lavish promises that came to be in the form of baby Jesus; the one who saved us all from death.

“Glory to God in the highest [heaven], And on earth peace among men with whom He is well-pleased.” When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying one to another, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem, and see this [wonderful] thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.” Luke 2:14‭-‬15 AMP

I can’t even begin to imagine what a sight that was the night the angels visited the shepherds. To see them and hear their proclamation must’ve been like no other wordly experience. And the Word tells us the shepherds went straight to Bethlehem.
How many times in our lives does God promise something, and we just sit back and wait? I encourage you this season of expectancy to act, to chase after God’s promises, to share with others the things God does for you both little and big. I encourage you to take time to search His word for his promises for you and your current situation. He won’t disappoint.

God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his one and only Son into the world so that we might live through him. 1 John 4:9.

“Oh Holy Night” is one of my all time favorite Christmas songs. There’s a line that says, ” A thrill of Hope, the weary world rejoices, for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.” Whenever I read or watch the news, I’m always left with a feeling of complete and utter sadness at how much pain and hurt there is in the world. To be honest, I avoid news updates sometimes because there’s more bad news than good. The world is weary, and yet I know that I can hold onto Hope. I know that my God cares about all of it, and it breaks his heart to see his special creation in pain. It’s up to us to share that Hope, to help others grab onto Hope and hold on for dear life. And we can do that by simply loving all God’s people.

I truly believe that love speaks louder than any monologue we can share with people. I don’t know about you, but I want others to know that a new and glorious morn is achievable every day when we choose to hold onto Jesus.

“But there is forgiveness with You, That You may be feared and worshiped [with submissive wonder]. I wait [patiently] for the Lord , my soul [EXPECTANTLY] waits, And in His word do I hope. My soul waits for the Lord More than the watchmen for the morning; More than the watchmen for the morning. O Israel, hope in the Lord ; For with the Lord there is lovingkindness, And with Him is abundant redemption.”
Psalms 130:4‭-‬7 AMP

Entering this Christmas season the Lord was quick to put the word EXPECTANT on my heart.
V. 6 talks about waiting on the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, and I can only picture the expectancy kids have waiting for Christmas morning, the wise men had searching for the Messiah, the shepherds had after the angel appeared to them, Joseph had putting his full faith and trust in the Lord and Mary had in the face of fears, uncertainty and the overwhelm in her heart.

Be expectant this Christmas season. God is bigger and mightier and stronger than your darkest fears.

I’m EXPECTANT. I know who my God is and He’s never failed me. So for what you are going to do Lord, thank you!!! My hope is in Him, I’ll wait, EXPECTANTLY, more than a watchman for the morning.