THIS IS A DAY OF JOY
Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! Luke 2:9 – 11
After a couple of years of decline, the American Dollar is rising strongly against most other currencies in the world and African countries are worst hit by it; Angola, Zambia and Nigeria, just to mention a few are facing tough economic times because of their dependence on international transactions that are negotiated in dollars. Thus, consumer spending in most countries is on the decline because prices are constantly on the rise. Thus, this Christmas might not be as festive as others because most families cannot afford to buy new clothes and feast on the dishes that they cherish. Whatever the situation might be in your household today, I want you to remember that the joy of Christmas was not given by the clothes and festivities but by the birth of the Saviour of the world. Do not let anything steal your joy today because the joy that you have was not given to you by things and things cannot steal or take that joy away from you.
Let today be a day of praise and thanksgiving to God because today marks the count down to the death and resurrection of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ. You of course know that if the Lord had not been born, there is no way He could have carried the cross upon which He was crucified. Today, we celebrate the beginning of the journey to Calvary that lasted for about 33 years. Today we celebrate the possibility of divine treasure being deposited in earthen vessels; because Jesus was born in the flesh, your flesh can become the temple in which the Holy Spirit dwells. Today we celebrate the steadfast love and faithfulness of God that ensured the birth of the messiah in fulfilment of a divine plan that was hatched at the foundations of the earth;
God chose him as your ransom long before the world began, but now in these last days he has been revealed for your sake. Through Christ you have come to trust in God. And you have placed your faith and hope in God because he raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory. (1Peter 1 -NLT)
This is the bottom line of the joy that must fill our hearts as we remember and celebrate the birth of the saviour of the world.
Liberation thought: My heart rejoices, O God!
Further reading: Luke 2:1 – 20
Prayer:
O Lord reveal your glory in my life
Every power that wants to sting my life with evil be annihilated in Jesus name
Father let the joy of Christmas fill my home
Amen.