“May the God of Hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” – Romans 15:13
Christmas is a time of joy and peace, not because it is a holiday, but because it marks the birth of Jesus. In the Old Testament we read of a promised Savior who will save people from their sin and its penalty of eternal death. The merriment of the shepherds was a response to the angelic announcement, “He has come.”

Christmas is a time of great celebration. In the midst of our own misery, pain, and crisis there is hope because Christ the Lord has come. Our lives are to be filled with this hope because God can be trusted. He is faithful to his promises.

What does hope mean to you today? Does it give you joy that is felt in your heart and seen on your face? Does it filter and challenge the abrasive negativism of our world that clouds the blessing of God’s good gifts to you? Does it comfort you in your trials and pain? Does it give you peace and contentment for the present and for what is yet to come?

The Holy Spirit works in you to give you the fruit of such hope so that your answer to the four questions above is “Yes and even more so!” Joy to the world, the Lord has come!