In receiving Christ we will in turn do as the shepherds did (Luke 2:20), turn to glorify and give praise to God, and spread peace everywhere we go.

It was in the coming of Christ that we see God rebuild the temple for the final time, encouraging all people, from all nations, to come worship Him and find their identity in the One who created them.

So many times we see God leading and showing us great examples to follow in the Bible, but with Jonah we are guided by weakness. In Jonah’s weakness and constant struggle with God we see God’s forgiveness. We see God’s mercy. We see God’s grace. We see God.

Although the book of Hosea humbles us as we begin to see ourselves as Gomer, we should be encouraged in knowing there is hope in the Faithful Bridegroom.

As we celebrate and reflect on the coming of Christ, how will you respond to the call of Wisdom? Will you reject it and go about living life as you please which ultimately leads to destruction (Proverbs 14:12)? Or will you yield to wisdom which leads to life (Proverbs 9:11) - eternal life through the Son Jesus Christ?

It is because of His birth that Jesus was able to come as a human, die on the cross for our sins, rise from the grave in victory over sin, and ascend to the right hand of the Father. He has made it possible for all who trust in Him to be forgiven of their sins and become indwelt by His Spirit. It is because of this that we have a change of heart and bear the fruit that only comes from a relationship with the Father.

Christ is at the center of the Psalms. As each poem depicts the cries of God’s people, God is quietly and subtly answering back. He hears. He knows. He is working to deliver His people.

Be encouraged during this season that through the birth of Christ, that tiny baby in a manger, the restoration of the world and the redemption of the suffering is near.

Christ is working in everything - from the biggest of issues to smallest of troubles. He has willingly become our deliverer and mediator in all our human affairs. There is nothing that our God cannot do and there is no situation in which Christ isn’t willing to step into in order to bring us out on the other side.

Hope isn’t lost. Hope is not found in our situations we face or the failed relationships that plague us. Hope is not found in a political party or the state of our finances. Hope is not a place or a thing. Hope is a person, and His name is Jesus. The One we were created to worship. The One we were created to be in relationship with since the Garden of Eden.