18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”(which means “God with us”).
24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
Matthew 1: 18-24 NIV
6min read
What a wonderful time of year to stop and reflect on what this Christmas season is truly about. This time of year for me is about a number of things, like being surrounded by family and loved ones, festive traditions like putting up our Christmas tree, and listening to carols. But this year in particular I have begun to marvel at all the things that point to the one who came to be with us, Jesus. And as I grow closer to God each year, I am drawn to recognising new ways I can celebrate His goodness. So here are 7 ways I stop and appreciate our God,‘Immanuel,’ the God who is with us.
This time of year for me is about giving. And what a beautiful time to stop and recognise what we have been freely given, so we can give freely. As our perfect example we can see that God the Father, gave us God the Son, so we can receive God the Holy Spirit. This season is the season of giving. It reflects who our God is and the grace and mercy He pours down onto us, even as the undeserving. What can we give? Our time, our money, our gifts, our presence, our words of encouragement, or the power of the gospel. He gave us His Son freely. So use this time to worship His name through our giving. And may it be a reflection of who we are as the body of Christ.
It’s a reminder to me that God is faithful. He gave us His one and only Son so that we can choose to be reconciled back to Him. He keeps His Word. And the bible speaks about His faithfulness over and over and over again. In the New Testament we see the fulfilment of His faithfulness through the birth of our LORD and Saviour, Jesus Christ. That Jesus was born to bring peace, hope and joy to the world. That His birth is the beginning of God’s redemptive plan, where He then gave us His salvation, so we can be in His eternal presence in Heaven: the House of the LORD.
He is a miracle worker. We can be reminded that Jesus was born of a Virgin. Jesus was not conceived by an earthly father, He was conceived by the Holy Spirit. He is God and Man, fully God and fully man. There is nothing impossible for the LORD, neither in the past or the future. And all that is ordained by God will be fulfilled. And all that God has placed His hand on will come to pass. So He can work miracles in your life and mine like He says He can. Believe this for yourself.
Put things into priority. The spirit of Jesus is the reason for the season. Make Him known in all areas of our lives. In our workplace, in our homes, to our neighbours, to our loved one’s. Honour Him through our actions, our words and our presence to those around us. And let us not use God’s name in vain, but honour Him. Christmas is about Christ, His name is Immanuel, “God with us.” So be a representation of Christ to those around us and shine your light in all that you do.
This time of year for me is a reminder that He loves us all. We are all created by Him, for Him, to be loved by Him. There is no one who is undeserving of the good news that is the gospel. The beggar on the street, the rich man in our workplace, the rude neighbour down the road. God leads us with the love that He gave us first, so we can then love those around us, and be a path that guides others to the light that is Christ. Shower God’s love onto all of those around, and let the presence of God be known so others can receive God’s love for themselves.
Let us be reminded that He came in a manger. He didn’t come to us in wealth and riches. He came lowly and humble, showing us that our status is not what is important. It is not what we own, or our job title. It is our spiritual connection to the God head. Who are you without your things? Take a step back and ask yourself, are you full on what has been given to you through the working of the Holy Spirit? Strip yourself of your status and your possessions and get lowly and humble, and experience the true joy, the overwhelming joy of CHRISTmas for yourself.
And finally, He speaks. Through dreams, through angels, through the gentleness of the Holy Spirit, through His Word. He speaks. This time of year is a reminder to me that He desires to lead each and every one of us to live a life that is full of His presence. He desires to give us life and life abundantly, through His presence. Get down on your knees and feel His presence for yourself. Invite Him into all that you do and let the joy, the peace and the hope that is Christmas surround you.
What a wonderful time of year to stop, reflect and count our blessings. And then multiple what we have received by paying it forward to those around us. He gave, so we can give. That gift is Jesus. The light of the world.
Merry Christmas!
Nadia x
All for His Glory.