DEVOTIONAL FOR THE WEEKS OF NOV. 23 - 30, 2020

I love Christmas! Always have, always will!

 It was a magical time in our valley in the country; we had more snow then. Our small country public school began to prepare for the Season after Thanksgiving and during music classes, we would always sing the seasonal songs, yet, our teachers made sure we also sang the Carols.

Every morning we stood in our classes and sang, “God Save the Queen”,  then recited the Lord’s Prayer. Once Christmas arrived, we also would add a Christmas Carol.

 

One teacher made a banner which read “Joy & Peace” and hung it behind her desk above the blackboard. She emphasized those words that year in almost every lesson she taught; how she worked it into Arithmetic I will never know, yet she did.

 

For me, it was so much a simpler time; playing hockey on the river down from our home, going with Dad and my brother to cut a tree in the woods behind us, smelling Mom’s baking as she prepared for the 25th, listening to Christmas music on the radio and preparing for 2 annual Christmas Concerts, one at my school and the other at our church. Also, there was talk on how we would support our neighbours and Percy Saunders, who I have written about.

 

We students made Christmas cards that year for family and friends and joy and peace had to be included somewhere.

 

Oh, how times have changed; yet, as each year goes by, I so much need to focus on joy and peace more than the previous year. I am not being negative, rather a realist, as our world becomes more complicated with less focus on the Christ Child. The contrast is more about happiness, fulfillment, and living for self.

 

That contrast is taking a beating with Covid-19. People are anything but happy, fulfilled, and living for self means trying to protect themselves from the virus.

 

Happiness is based on circumstantial pleasure; joy comes from the Holy Spirit and is supernatural. I remember meeting with a small house church in China; they lived at constant risk of imprisonment for their faith and some had family members already in prison. They were the most joyful group of Christians I have ever met. Thinking of the worship time I had with them, makes me tear up.

 

The Greek word for joy is “Chara” and it tells us that joy is produced by the “charis” or grace of God and is manifested in hard times;  a Spirit-given expression that flourishes best when our situation is strenuous, daunting, and tough. One example is found in 1 Thessalonians 1:6. Believers were under great stress due to persecution and yet in the midst of this, they continued to experience joy. Paul calls it the “Joy of the Holy Spirit”.

 

The Greek word for peace is “Eirene” and the Hebrew equivalent is shalom. It expresses, wholeness, completeness, or tranquility in the soul that is unaffected by outward circumstances or pressures. You could say it suggests an order in place of chaos. The Hebrew word, shalom, expresses a dominating peace which ultimately produces prosperity in one’s soul.

 

This Christmas will be celebrated differently, yet the Christ Child is still Jesus and He still reigns. Ask the Holy Spirit to release a supernatural joy and a dominating peace deep inside of you, to keep you joyful, calm, stable, and peaceful in the midst of this growing pandemic.

 

The world is placing all of their hope on when the vaccine will be released; I overheard someone say, it will all soon be over and better when we have the vaccine. I did not want to break into their bubble and say, no, it will not be better, for there will be another issue which you will have to face.

 

Consider adding this to your prayers over this season.

 

“Jesus died so I don’t have to _________ anymore.”

 

Fill in the blank; actually, write it down and refer back to it. The Holy Spirit will use this to instill joy and peace in you. If you are like me, you will need to have more than one of these prayers; I need more blanks.

 

Here is my prayer for you over this Christmas Season. I am praying it over you and virtually anointing each of you with oil.

 

“Abba Father, in the name of you, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, 

I anoint each person who reads this devotional. 

May they be empowered to walk in joy and peace over these next 5 weeks. 

May they not give in to worry, fear, anxiety, and may they deliberately choose to let you, Holy Spirit, flood them even now as they read this prayer 

with unquenchable joy and incomprehensible peace. 

Protect them from Covid and strengthen them in all their relationships

and may they know the power of the risen Jesus, who reigns today and forever. 

This I declare by faith in Jesus’ name.”

Merry Christmas!