If It All Falls Apart This Christmas, Remember This
JODI HARRIS
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“for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples …” Luke 2:30-31 (ESV)
The year I got married, I was looking forward to living in newlywed bliss. Instead, the year also came with the death of three grandparents, grad school overwhelm, and a difficult new teaching career. In a season of distress and devastation, how could my 20-something self navigate such loss alongside celebration?
That Christmas, I longed to find joy despite my grief. I secretly hoped for gifts with glitz and glamor from my new husband to distract and delight me. Instead, he gave me a cheese grater.
Y’all. A cheese grater. The kind with a handle that looks like a slingshot.
“Why?” I asked.
“Because we don’t have one,” he answered.
I’d like to say I cherished that cheese grater. In reality, I wanted to use it like the slingshot it was and fire off cheese in the direction of the gift giver. Ungrateful, I know. The true meaning of Christmas? Hardly.
There’s nothing like a cheese grater to expose my disappointed and hurting heart.
I can often relate to the lament in Psalm 119:81-82, when the psalmist was worn out from waiting for God’s help: “My soul longs for your salvation; I hope in your word. My eyes long for your promise; I ask, ‘When will you comfort me?’” (ESV).
How do we celebrate in our seasons of sorrow?
Luke 2:25-35 tells us about a righteous and devout man named Simeon who waited his whole life, longing for Israel’s rescue and salvation … and he was in the temple when Mary and Joseph brought baby Jesus to be dedicated.
What must it have been like for Simeon to see and hold the Messiah, the promised, long-awaited Savior of the world?
Did the words of Psalm 119 ring in Simeon’s ears? “My eyes long for your salvation and for the fulfillment of your righteous promise” (Psalm 119:123, ESV).
In this holy, full-circle moment, perhaps Simeon felt the weight of ancient answered prayers as he exclaimed our key verse: “For my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples” (Luke 2:30-31).
Jesus, whose name means “God is salvation,” would bring good news to the poor, bind up the brokenhearted, comfort the mourning, and provide for the grieving (Isaiah 61:1-2). He is Immanuel — God with us (Matthew 1:23).
Jesus didn’t come to immediately take us out of all the hard things but to be with us in them. To be with us in our loneliness, sadness, loss and frustration. To bring joy and healing.
This Christmas, if you’re grieving, ungrateful or out of sorts, you’re in good company. Remember this: Jesus came for you. To be with you.
Let’s embrace Jesus in our hearts, delighting as our eyes see His salvation. He’s come to be with us in our tears and our laughter (even when we open that cheese grater). Because Jesus’ gift to us all is His presence.
Lord, thank You for coming to be with us in our hard places and for healing us with Your presence. May we sing boldly with hope, “Joy to the world! The Lord has come!” In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
OUR FAVORITE THINGS
You’ve heard the phrase, “new year, new me,” right? Resolutions can fizzle out by March, but what if 2025 could be different? What if you made God’s Word your priority and experienced real, lasting growth in your relationship with Him? Because here’s the truth: God has always been in the business of making things new — and that includes YOU! Order your Fresh Start: A Study of the Book of Genesis study guide today, and make plans to dive in with us on January 6. Order now!
ENGAGE
You can listen to an audio version of this devotion that includes a reading of the Christmas story here! Connect with today’s devotion writer, Jodi Harris, on her website or on Facebook.
FOR DEEPER STUDY
Isaiah 61:1-2, “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn …” (ESV).
Matthew 1:21-23, “‘She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’ All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: ‘Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel’ (which means, God with us)” (ESV).
How does God’s salvation and healing presence bring you comfort this Christmas? Share with us in the comments!
© 2024 by Jodi Harris. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 31 Ministries
P.O. Box 3189
Matthews, NC 28106
www.Proverbs31.org
