Devotional – Page 6 – The Will to Wake Up

Life at Different Speeds

Do you feel frustrated by the pace of your progress?

Sloths typically live between 20-30 years, sleep 15-20 hours a day, and move at such a slow pace that algae grows on their backs¹. Over the course of their lives, they may be able to travel across 100 trees. Meanwhile, butterflies typically live for only a couple of weeks – months at the most. Yet they make the most of their time! Monarch butterflies travel 50-100 miles per day².

Photo by Shuvalova Natalia on Pexels.com

We all move at different paces, too. Some of us enjoy busy schedules, social gatherings, and constant movement. Others of us function best after taking the time to rest and process, appreciating the quieter moments of each day.

These differences go beyond personality as well. Some people seem to be on the fast track to success, whether it be worldly success or relationship development or spiritual transformation. Those of us who are late bloomers may feel frustrated that we’ve been working on the same thing for longer with less to show for it.

Humans are judged differently than animals. If you were to go up to a sloth and demand that it move faster, you would look silly. Similarly, if you were to tell a butterfly to slow down and smell the roses, you would also seem ridiculous. We have accepted that animals were created intentionally and uniquely. They have been functioning this way for thousands of years, and it’s only human interference that disrupts their life cycle. Thus, who are we to criticize their way of life?

However, we often feel inclined to question human growth rates, especially our own. Why didn’t we get into the same college as our friends? Why don’t we know which career path to take? Why haven’t we been promoted? When will we finally meet “the one” for us? How long until we become as successful or significant as the person beside us?

The questions shift through each stage of life, yet they are all rooted in our broken understanding of identity. God created us with unique gifts and personalities that benefit others. While we are meant to become more like Him the longer we walk in faith, we will also develop into one-of-a-kind creations. When we lose our broken understanding of who the world tells us we are, we can embrace the beautiful identity God designed for us.

There are benefits to our individuality, just as there are for sloths and butterflies traveling at their own paces. Sloths are able to camouflage due to the algae that develops from their slow speed, which protects them from predators. Butterflies’ migration patterns gives us a sign of how our ecosystem is doing, while also providing us hope and encouragement with their beauty³.

We may never know why life is moving at the rate it is right now or why it’s taking a different shape than we had imagined. However, we can always trust that with God in control, we will end up where we need to be in good time.

Today, breathe and rest in God’s presence, like sloths. And also keep an eye out for opportunities God offers you to bless others, like butterflies. No matter who you are, you were created intentionally and designed with a unique purpose that’s meant to be shared with the world.

Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed.

There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.
1 Corinthians 12:1, 4-6

When Nothing Gets Better

Hope for when hardships don’t cease.

I had a more “poised” post planned out for today, but I’m going to be real with you. I’ve had a really difficult past few weeks and every time it seemed like things were improving, something else happened to make it worse. There were moments when staying in bed or zoning out behind a screen seemed safer than continuing on with my day.

Maybe you’re in a similar boat right now or perhaps you can recall a time when you were stuck in a negative cycle. I believe God wants us to express our emotions and be honest about them, but I don’t think He wants us to stop there.

I don’t have all the answers for why life is difficult or when your problems will be solved. We live in a broken world which will remain imperfect until Jesus comes again.

But I have been reminded again of our need to cling to the truth that there is always beauty to be found and we are not alone in our struggles. Here is my process of overcoming ongoing obstacles, which I hope resonates with you too.

Acknowledge the Pain

You are not a failure or overly sensitive for admitting when you are struggling. In fact, when we distract ourselves or pretend like everything is okay, we are depriving ourselves of deeper healing. Allow yourself to feel your emotions and share them, whether with a trustworthy loved one or in a diary, and especially with God.

Admit to God Your Humanness

Difficult times can draw us closer to God. He is here for you and wants you to call out to Him in all seasons. Admit that you can’t do this alone and ask for His steady hand to guide you through.

Reflect on Previous Trials and Restoration

This likely isn’t the first storm you’ve encountered. Remember a time when you thought nothing would improve and take notice of how this mindset shifted. Can you see God at work in that situation? What did you learn from that trial? Is there anything you can use from that experience to help you through this one?

Read God’s Promises for Your Life

Though we live in a broken world, God still created us with intention and love. Therefore, we can experience joy and fulfillment while living into the calling He has for us. Open your Bible and read passages that bring you hope. Notice passages about Bible characters who faced difficulties, but relied on God for strength. What got them through their battles? God never changes. He will help you, even if His response shows up in unexpected ways.

Do Something You Enjoy

While this step isn’t meant to be an escape from real life, taking time to have fun and focus on other aspects of our lives can help us process and release our pain. You are worth moments of rest and enjoyment.

Allow Yourself to Embrace Newness

Life might look different for you right now, but that doesn’t mean you have to freeze and wait for everything to be over. You can live out your God-given calling right now, even as you hope for better days. We may avoid embracing newness because it means we have to keep moving forward, but it also means we won’t be stuck in this season forever. Things will get better, one step at a time.

I hope and pray that you know how much you are loved. No matter what, God is with you and fighting for you. Don’t give up. ❤

Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; ⁴perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
Romans 5:3-5

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, ¹⁹and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength ²⁰he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, ²¹far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. ²²And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, ²³which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
Ephesians 1:18-23

The Incredible Reality of Unconditional Love

How does embracing God’s unconditional love for us change the trajectory of our lives forever?

Evangelical churches are often characterized in the media for stirring souls toward salvation with sermons about damnation and fiery flames. Even in small group discipling conversations, the emphasis is often on gaining eternal life rather than the earthly benefits of following Jesus. While eternal life certainly lasts longer than our time on Earth, it isn’t the only – or perhaps even most important – aspect of a relationship with God.

When we love Jesus, we will obey – or at least do our best to obey – His teachings (John 14:15). And what is Jesus’ number one command?

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Luke 10:37

You know how spending time with someone, even someone completely different from you, can cause you to pick up their mannerisms and understand their perspective? The same is true of a relationship with Jesus. If you spend the rest of your life with Him, even when your growth feels slow, you are becoming more like Him. Your heart softens as it fills with His love and pours out on those around you.

You will find yourself naturally seeking out the interests of others above your own. You will crave honest and authentic relationships. You will pause before making major decisions and seek godly counsel. Even if your life looks more difficult and your faith causes you to make sacrificial choices, you will be filled with joy and the strength to keep going. And on the rough days, when you feel alone or defeated, you won’t stay stuck in those emotions because you have someone who loves you unconditionally to whom you can call.

When you approach someone without faith and explain that they should submit their life to Christ in order to be more kind and selfless, you may unintentionally come off as selfish. It’s like saying, “I just want you to be saved so that you treat me better.” In truth, they are the one who suffers the most from not having a relationship with Jesus.

The longer they try to do life without unconditional love, the harder their hearts will become. They turn inward for assurance and comfort and love, but they won’t find it there, no matter how desperately they search. Empty and defeated, they will invest in outward sources, whether it be relationships, wealth, physical health, or even humanitarian work.

While those sources may provide immediate comfort, they won’t sustainably meet their deeper needs. People come and go. The economy collapses. Illness hits. Causes and campaigns, even the most noble of them, fade out of relevance eventually. Or enthusiasm for them does when they try to take on the burdens of the world without God’s strength and comfort.

Naturally, when all else fails, they turn back to themselves, realizing they are all they have left. The world encourages us to pump ourselves up with motivational mantras: “You are special”, “You are worthy”, “You are loved”. But when these phrases come from ourselves, they don’t mean anything. We have been designed to need validation from an outside source. Sadly, we often turn to people who don’t have the capacity to love us fully 100% of the time.

But here is where God reenters the picture, though He’s been waiting there the whole time. He wants to take us by the hand and say, “My child, I have always loved you. I know you better than you know yourself. Give up the lie that anything other than my love will sustain you. Come, follow me.”

This path won’t be easy, but it will be lined with grace. All of these things that you’ve craved for your whole life, whether it be purpose or love or hope, can be found in a relationship with God.

How is God calling you today? If you close your eyes and reflect, how can you see Him working in your life to help you grow in love and selflessness?

Because of His love and redemption, you are special, worthy, and loved. Even as believers, we can struggle to remember this when our thoughts tell us otherwise. Today, are you ready to accept this incredible reality?

Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
1 John 4:8

But whoever loves God is known by God.
1 Corinthians 8:3

Love Shatters Everything

Are you willing to embrace radical change through Jesus’ love?

My dad always used to begin his day drinking hot tea in a glass mug. Sometimes, I’d tiptoe downstairs and watch him sort through paper ads, snipping and trimming deals, calmly sipping. Then one morning – CRASH. He had chosen to drink cold soda in his glass, hot out of the dishwasher. I flew down the stairs. Bits of glass sprayed across the kitchen.

A few years later, long after the mug had been thrown away, I learned that certain artists comb the beach in search of sea glass. Sea glass originates as a useless shard of trash, but through years of physical and chemical weathering from salt water, it can become a lovely piece of frosted glass utilized by artists.

Chaos ensues whenever glass breaks. There’s usually screaming: “Be careful! How did this happen? Watch out! Bare toes!”. It’s impossible to break glass without anyone within earshot noticing. It cannot be done in a pretty or gentle way. But it can turn out beautiful.

Change is a lot like this. We often say we want to change – though grow or develop are favorable euphemisms. But change causes chaos. We must ask ourselves, “Are we willing to embrace chaos if it means we can become more like Christ?”.

Change isn’t comfy-cozy. It’s disruptive and provocative. It requires us to shed a layer of skin, becoming vulnerable and authentic. As we change, people will notice. Some like it; others don’t.

Take boundaries, for instance. Boundaries allow us to refrain from enabling others, live restful and balanced lives, and prioritize authenticity over pleasing people and avoiding conflict. However, the recipient of our boundaries may be surprised and disappointed when we aren’t so accommodating anymore.

Setting boundaries is actually an excellent test of whether the other person in the relationship is in it for their personal gain or because they truly care. If they suddenly don’t want to be in contact anymore, you may have to ask yourself whether they were a real friend or not. Boundaries give us the freedom to invest in healthy relationships and release the toxic ones.

Of course, we must do everything out of love, including how we set boundaries and interact with difficult people. Love isn’t always, or even often, comfortable. Jesus is love and love is radical. If it can change a man from being a killer of Christians into a renowned teacher of God’s truth and love even thousands of years after his death (ahem, Paul), then love can truly redeem the hardest of hearts. But it requires sacrifice.

You will face hard choices and be nudged out of your comfort zone when you choose to love as Jesus loves. But love is what changes everything. It reminds us of our desperate need for a Savior and it binds us together by grace.

If we aren’t willing to embrace change, then what are we even doing here? Think of your walk with Jesus as you would a friendship. When you first become friends with someone, you are strangers and can enjoy a surface-level relationship for a time. But if you only maintain this level of friendship, you’ll never feel satisfied or known, or most of all, loved.

As we get to know Jesus, His love for us will fill our hearts and overflow out of us. This love can change us no matter how far gone we feel and impact others who are hurting and broken.

Today, I challenge you to ask God how He wants you to grow. He will give you the strength to embrace positive change when you ask for His help. You aren’t meant to do this alone, and thankfully, you don’t have to. God’s Spirit dwells within you, ready to comfort you and inspire you to become more like Christ.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
2 Corinthians 5:17

Seeking Hope in the Rain

Hope when healing feels out of reach.

I’m not sure where you are on the healing journey, but most of us know what it’s like to experience a relapse, a step backwards. We find ourselves in desperate need of healing and help and most of all, Jesus.

The image I often associate with my initial breaking point is fifteen-year-old Hannah listening to somber music while walking her dog during a downpour. She was lonely, discouraged, and doubting. And yesterday, I found myself there once again. Five years older, but suddenly not feeling any wiser.

Maybe you’ve asked yourself the same questions I did: Am I a complete failure for cycling back to the same place? Where do I go from here? Did I even heal at all? What does God think of me right now?

And in the middle of immense grief — grief over things I couldn’t even describe — I suddenly felt a surge of hope. I hurried home and journaled. As I wrote, I didn’t have exact solutions to my problems, but I did feel lighter.

I continue to have hope because I realized I wasn’t in the same place again. I will never be in the exact same place again. The setting, the outfit, the feelings — they may all appear the same. But I am not who I was at the beginning of this journey, and neither are you.

Life is like a staircase. Each day we spend with Jesus, asking for His insight and help in our lives, we take one step up the staircase. When there are days of taking steps backward, we aren’t negating entire months or years of steps. Our progress is not hindered by one setback to the degree it often seems. We aren’t jumping off the banister for forgetting to pray or making a mistake.

Instead, a step backwards causes us to pause and remember our need for God. The longer we climb this staircase, the less likely we are to keep moving backwards after a misstep. It will become natural to turn to God in the face of defeat, depression, or disaster.

You may see immediate or gradual changes in your reactions to setbacks. The next day might seem brighter. You may be able to smile at yourself in the mirror again. You may even be able to praise God in the middle of your suffering.

But even if you can’t see those changes yet, God has not left you in the same dark place. He hears your cries and is right by your side. Your feelings don’t dictate His feelings for you. Whether you feel like a pathetic failure or have fully embraced your status as an infinitely loved child of God, your identity never changes. You will always be God’s beloved child.

I am so thankful that the rain doesn’t last forever. Sometimes, the relief comes in pockets of sunlight between storms. Today, a rainbow stretched across the sky as rain pattered down my back. And I smiled because I took time to notice its beauty even as the rain persisted. With my eyes fixed on hope, the rain seemed less intense.

I pray that however you feel today, you can find courage and hope in knowing that God’s opinion of you never wavers. He will always love you and want you to come back to Him. The rain won’t last forever. But don’t be afraid to search for the rainbows even through the rainy seasons.

Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.
Matthew 7:24-25

You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.
Psalm 56:8

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.
Romans 5:3-5

Journey to Inspiration

My revelations after coming out of a writer’s block.

I hit a writer’s block in December. By hit, I really do mean collided, smashed, and totaled my little writing vehicle. I like to picture it as a tiny, sky blue Bug with floral bumper stickers.

Early last summer, I created a goal to write for at least 15 minutes a day. I was working on a novel, one I was sure I’d finish, and this goal motivated me to continue working on it. For six months, I successfully kept this goal.

Until I realized I needed to scrap my novel and start a new project.

My cumulation of over eight months of work boiled down into one short story — I’d like to call it a novella, because it was quite a number of pages, but certainly not enough to be a novel — and then there was nowhere else to go with it. I should’ve been proud of that novella, and I was, deep down. But I was also deeply disappointed in myself. I felt like a failure for letting go of a project after spending so much time on it.

My feelings of inadequacy, my desire to crank out a perfect draft in one take, and my longing to be immersed in a fresh new story were the cement slabs of my writer’s block.

Have you ever been in that place? So drained of inspiration, and yet craving the feeling of being inspired again. I believe that inspiration comes from God, just as every good and perfect gift does. But inspiration is a bit like faith. God will help us develop a strong faith, but we have to be willing to do the work too.

To clarify, faith and salvation are two different things. Salvation is all about the work Jesus has already done for us. We don’t have to do anything except desire a relationship with Him and ask for this gift. While faith is a product of our relationship with Jesus, and Jesus is always there with us, we can’t grow in our faith if we aren’t willing to listen to Him, spend time with Him, or obey Him.

Faith requires sacrifice, courage, and patience. We often don’t make the right decision or think the kind thought the first time around. Jesus may call us to give of our time, energy, resources, and comfort in order to follow His will and love others. We may lose friends or opportunities because our priorities don’t align with the world’s. But isn’t it worth it to live a purposeful life, filled with the love of Jesus?

Inspiration requires sacrifice, courage, and patience too. We may endure many long, harrowing nights before we have a writing session where our fingers are flying and our hearts are full of anticipation. Our choices may not make sense to others, especially when we choose write instead of going out. (Though please, my fellow writers, make time to live your life outside of your writing too!) And often we don’t have instant gratification from our work.

But isn’t it worth it?

When I am inspired, I feel closest to God. I feel empowered and determined to use my writing to encourage others and to learn more about the world and myself. Spending time with complex characters makes me in awe of God for creating each of us so uniquely and knowing us so intimately. It is a profound experience that can lead to beautiful creations, if we are willing to embark on the journey to inspiration.

This month, I started a new writing goal, and I’m excited to say that I’ve stuck with it so far! My new writing project concerns this blog. While I love writing encouragement and faith-based nonfiction, my heart is found in fiction writing. I will continue writing these regular blog posts, but I’m also excited to announce that I will be adding a fiction section to this blog within the coming months! I hope that it brings you as much joy as it’s brought me.

No matter where you are on your journey, whether it is your spiritual journey, writing journey, or another journey, I hope you know that you are not alone. Jesus is walking right beside you, eager to help you grow into the person He created you to be.

Perhaps I will stay with you for a while, or even spend the winter, so that you can help me on my journey, wherever I go. For I do not want to see you now and make only a passing visit; I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits.
1 Corinthians 16:6-7

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
James 1:2-4

Called to Belong

What if calling doesn’t have to be as overwhelming as it seems?

Happy New Year!

I don’t know about you, but I often feel immense pressure at the beginning of the year to have my life figured out. Strategizing the perfect goals, tidying up the house, rearranging priorities. This is the season for transformation!

While making goals, trying to be healthier, and considering our callings are good things, they can cause fear and doubt to rise into our hearts:

Why don’t I know my calling? Is my calling going to be as interesting or exciting as this other person’s calling? Does God even have a calling for me? What if my calling isn’t something I’ll like? The questions spin us into chaos!

We will be given multiple callings in our lives. Some feel smaller than others, such as reaching out to an overlooked person or giving a donation spontaneously. Others, especially those about our career paths, relationships, homes, and families, feel significant. Especially because we often find our identities in these aspects of our lives, whether or not we’re in a romantic relationship, how successful our job is, or how close we are to our families.

But none of these callings relate to true identity, the calling at the core of our beings.

Through [Jesus] we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for his name’s sake. ⁶And you also are among those Gentiles who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.

⁷To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be his holy people:

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Romans 1:5-7

Whether or not you’re a Gentile, we are all called to be God’s holy people. While the title sounds unobtainable, we are given this opportunity by being “called to belong to Jesus Christ”.

It is not by our own works that we become God’s people. When we accept the love of Christ, we belong to Him. Simply by being loved by Jesus, we are given a calling above all other callings. And the best part is that this calling impacts all future callings as well.

When we receive the love of Jesus, we desire time with Him. Through that time, we learn to think and act as the Spirit leads. We are no longer bound by human constraints or timetables. We are free to follow Jesus one step at a time.

I hope this reminder brings you encouragement. I know that this may not solve an impending question or decision in your life. But I pray that as you remember God’s love for you, you act out of His grace and wisdom. God offers the Spirit to all who ask, and believe me, we serve a generous God.

I also hope that you are not overwhelmed as you consider the callings God has placed on your life. It’s a miracle that God chooses to give us gifts, talents, and callings, but they aren’t our ticket to Heaven or the determiner for our identity.

Your identity is found in belonging to Jesus. His love, grace, and mercy found in His sacrifice and redemption washes over your story. You already have your calling and you will always be loved by the One who calls you by name.

With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith.
2 Thessalonians 1:11

Surrendering Your Year

Reflecting on what God has taught me in 2023.

Everything is in God’s hands. I know it; you know it. But do we really believe it?

I am a worrier. I plan things out, analyze before and after situations occur, and go to great lengths to avoid problems. But this year, God has really challenged me to surrender everything to Him.

For those of us who enjoy knowing the plan or having clear goals, it can be frustrating to surrender to God because it means making decisions we wouldn’t necessarily make on our own. Sometimes, those decisions seem like straying from the path we want or disappointing people we admire. Often, especially at the beginning of the surrendering process, we have no idea where God is taking us. That’s downright frightening!

While surrendering is a very difficult process, it allows us to accept our freedom found in Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. When we surrender our hopes and dreams to God, we aren’t giving up on who He created us to be. Rather, we are aligning our will with His. We are letting go of the idea that life has to look the way we planned to be meaningful.

It’s easier to surrender our will to God’s when we spend time with Him and realize He has our best interest in mind. He loves us more than we could ever comprehend and He will always take good care of us.

Surrendering makes room for peace. The pressure isn’t on us to perform and fulfill our goals. Instead, we can take life one step at a time, only acting as God leads.

This doesn’t mean we have an excuse to be lazy or unprepared. Rather, we don’t have to worry about what life will bring. We can continue on ahead, bringing each situation to God in prayer, and making decisions that glorify Him. When things don’t turn out the way we want, we don’t have to panic. God must have something better in store.

What is your biggest takeaway from 2023? What do you hope for in 2024?

I pray that for all of us, 2024 is a year of fulfilled promises, personal growth, and a deeper relationship with God.

Jesus answered them, “Do you finally believe? In fact, you’re about to make a run for it—saving your own skins and abandoning me. But I’m not abandoned. The Father is with me. I’ve told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I’ve conquered the world.”
John 16:33 (MSG)

A Christmas Prayer

Merry Christmas!

Dear Jesus,

I pray that the person reading this feels an abundance of your love today. No matter the hardships, loneliness, and stress that can accompany this time of year, your love for us never fades. May your peace and comfort embrace this person like a warm and cozy blanket on a cold winter day.

Lord, relieve the burdens and expectations that come with Christmas. Allow today to be what it is — whether carefree and light or chaotic and busy or quiet and still. You meet us where we are, even when we are hiding from difficult relatives or scrambling to salvage a ruined dessert. Thank you, God, for giving us grace no matter how today feels.

I am so thankful that you love us even when we neglect to love you back. Thank you for wanting to understand us so much, you were willing to come as a vulnerable baby and use unlikely people to remind us that you will use us too.

Give us the strength, courage, and humility to submit to your loving plans for us. Soften our hearts so that we will be willing to change when you lead us in a new direction. Remind us that you are trustworthy and our lives are in your hands.

Finally, I pray that everyone in this community knows that you would’ve still come to redeem them even if they were the only person in the world. We are special to you. Thank you, Jesus, that even though we can’t do anything to earn this love or pay it back, you guide us to become more like you when we accept your love. Help us see who needs to feel your love today.

We praise you for the blessings and mercy you have shown us throughout this season. Thank you, Jesus, for your great love!

Amen.

Merry Christmas! I hope and pray you have a wonderful day with time to reflect on God’s never-ending love for you.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16

Fourth Sunday of Advent: God’s Faithfulness

Merry Christmas Eve! As we draw close to Christmas, let’s remember God’s faithfulness, even in the waiting seasons.

Read: Luke 2:22-40

Devotional:

Each Christmas, a different set of characters stands out to me, often based on my emotions and experiences from that year. Perhaps you can relate. There are years of abundance and joy, when you feel like the shepherds, ready to share the good news with others. And then there are years of waiting, discouragement, and loneliness. In today’s passage, Simeon and Anna experience the fulfillment of long anticipated promises, though they also provide solace and company in times of sorrow or impatience.

From the start, we learn that Simeon and Anna are both people who have an intimate relationship with God. Simeon has opened his heart and mind to being moved by the Holy Spirit while Anna, being a prophetess, is also used by the Spirit to speak God’s truth. What makes their faith remarkable is the way they’ve grown while experiencing immense trials and disappointments.

I am deeply comforted by these characters, particularly in how they must’ve stood out from the people around them. Simeon must have sounded crazy by being so firm in his belief that he would not die before meeting Jesus, the Messiah. He likely was laughed at by others, especially in religious circles, and made to feel like he didn’t belong. Meanwhile Anna experienced heartbreak right at the point when her life should’ve been at its peak. This led her to spend the rest of her life widowed, likely with many moments of wondering and loneliness.

Though they may have wanted a more “normal” life at points, they embraced the path God had for them, through which they were filled by the Holy Spirit and blessed with remarkable gifts that opened their eyes to who Jesus was before many of the more popular and scholarly religious leaders. Their faithfulness to God is admirable, a reminder for us to trust God and focus on Him rather than others who bring us down or treat us poorly.

What I love most, though, is witnessing God’s faithfulness through this passage. The entire world had waited a long time for the promise of Jesus to be fulfilled, the only possibility for us to have complete connection and access to God and to be with Him forever. Jesus’ birth, death, and resurrection is the most profound testament to God’s faithfulness and love for His people. And when we think about it as such a vast, worldly event, it can feel so far away despite being so incredible.

But when we zoom in on God’s faithfulness to Simeon and Anna, people He specifically chose and remained close to as they experienced hardship and disappointment, it’s so evident that God is as much a personal God as He is soveriegn over everything.

God cares about the burdens on your heart. He didn’t only send Jesus for everyone else — He sent Jesus for you. He believed that His love for you was sacred enough to sacrifice His own Son to pay the price you owed simply by being human so that He could love you forever and ever.

No matter how you feel this Christmas, whether you are isolated or surrounded by loved ones, take the time to remember and thank God for His love. Realize that you are worth dying for! Being in relationship with you matters immensely to God. He doesn’t need you and He doesn’t need me, but He so desperately wants us because He created us and delights in us. Nothing you do will ever change how much God loves you.

We can’t earn this love or sacrifice, but we can honor this gift by spending time with God and making the most of this incredible opportunity to be with Him. After all, that’s what the ultimate meaning of Christmas is, right? God is with us. And that news is worth getting excited about!

Questions:

When’s the last time you really thought about how much God wants to be in relationship with you?
Do you want to be in relationship with Him?
How can you build more time in your life to be with Him this year?
How do you hope to grow in your faith through your relationship with Jesus?
Thank God for His grace and faithfulness, remembering all He has done in your life, and trusting all that’s to come.

Sing:

O Come All Ye Faithful

In The Bleak Midwinter

Silent Night