A Christmas Short Story

We thank the Lord for this wonderful season of the year, when we gather together with family and friends to celebrate Christmas with gift-giving and feasts fit for a king. This is as it should be because at this time of the year, we do celebrate the birth of our King, Jesus Christ. We know family is very important to God. Jesus said that through Him we would become children of God, and we could call God "abba." As most everyone knows abba means something more akin to daddy, than king. Our country is going through a very difficult time economically, and there are many who preach gloom and doom as far as the eye can see. I just can't bring myself to be in that camp. I can't give you chapter and verse of how we are going to work our way out of the mess we find ourselves in, but I do know that God's word also says that His hand is upon the government of our country. Thus, I am confident that there will be government programs that God will bless and will become a blessing to us all. He will also continue to bless the sweat of our brows, as His word says. Finally, in these times when answers are so few and questions so many, more and more people turn to God for his divine protection and benevolence. When we do that, we are doing what Jesus instructed us to do, and he offered to us in advance how God will respond. Luke 11:11-13 gives us comfort that God hears our prayers, and will respond. Luke 11:11“You fathers—if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? 12 Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! 13 So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.” We are not in this alone. The God of all creation has made known his love for his creation and he has promised to provide for us and to give us the strength to endure. I don't know about you, but I have found God's word not only to be a source of great wisdom and revelation, but also a source of great comfort and hope. On a cold night over 2000 years ago, a child was born in a manger. A child who would change the way the world understood God and the way the world would relate to God. Even though that child was later killed, we Christians believe he rose again and is still alive and still offers His peace and promises to every human being. Thank you, Jesus, for becoming one of us and feeling in your flesh our bumps and bruises, our sorrows, our hopes and fears, and finally our indescribable joys when we understand that it is in your stripes that we are healed. Merry Christmas to all,