Merry Christmas!!

I am the light that has come into the world 
so that everyone who believes in me 
will not live in the dark.  
John 12:46

 

"I am the Light."Click through for an Christmas / Advent devotional mediation..

 

Today we light the Christ candle and celebrate Jesus, the Light, who came into the world to free us from the oppression of darkness.

I’ve been contemplating this concept of Jesus being the light of the world lately.  And wouldn’t you know, last night I attended a Christmas Eve service and the theme of the service was about Jesus being the light.   Isn’t that just like God?

 

That LIGHT has come :: 12 Days of Christmas :: AnExtraordinaryDay.net

 

The time when Jesus entered this world as a babe was a very dark time.  King Herod was truly evil.  He was so threatened by hearing that a new king was born that he ordered all males under the age of two to be killed.  Seriously…who does things like that?  The world then was yearning for a new king…we are too.  We are all tired of political corruption.  Slavery is worse than it ever was. And it seems that mankind is more self-serving than ever.

 

The Light has come :: 12 Days of Christmas Christmas Mantel :: AnExtraordinaryDay.net

 

Since the fall of mankind, we recognize the forces of evil all around us.

In the ancient days of Israel, the people wanted a leader they could trust.  But, God had a plan that was better than any earthly king.  In those days, God appointed prophets to speak to the people for him.  Isaiah was one of those men and he spoke these amazing words…..

The people who had been living in darkness
    have seen a great light.
The light of life has shined on those who dwelt
    in the shadowy darkness of death.
And You, God, will make it happen. You bolstered the nation,
making it great again. You have saturated it with joy.
Everyone in it is full of delight in Your presence,
like the joy they experience at the harvest,
like the thrill of dividing up the spoils of war.
4 For as You did back in the day when Midian  oppressed us,
You will shatter the yoke that burdens them,
You will lift the load that weighs them down,
You will break the rod of their oppressor.
It’s true. All the fabric of war will go up in flames:
the troops’ heavy boots that stamped us down and their blood-soaked garb
Will all be burned beyond recognition or use.
There will be a new time, a fresh start.
Hope of all hopes, dream of our dreams,
    a child is born,sweet-breathed; a son is given to us: a living gift.
And even now, with tiny features and dewy hair, He is great.
    The power of leadership, and the weight of authority, will rest on His shoulders.
His name? His name we’ll know in many ways—
    He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Dear Father everlasting, ever-present never-failing,
    Master of Wholeness, Prince of Peace.
7 His leadership will bring such prosperity as you’ve never seen before—
    sustainable peace for all time.
This child: God’s promise to David—a throne forever, among us,
    to restore sound leadership that cannot be perverted or shaken.
He will ensure justice without fail and absolute equity. Always.
    The intense passion of the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies,
    will carry this to completion.  Isaiah 9:2-7 (bold emphasis mine)

 

The people were eagerly anticipating this Prince of Peace.

And he came into this world, humbly as a baby.  He would live a perfect life so that he could take punishment we deserved.  Just before he returned to heaven, he promised he would be away “for a little while” to prepare a place for us there.

We, just like the people in Isaiah’s time, are waiting for justice and leadership.  But, unlike the people of old, though he may not be here with us in the flesh, Jesus is with us.  Just before he left the earth, he said he would be with us always.  He is Immanuel, God with us.

 

I am the Light that has come :: Merry Christmas :: 12 Days of Christmas AnExtraordinaryDay.net

 

One day soon, Jesus, the light of the world, will return to the earth as the mighty conqueror that he is.  And God’s promise to David will be fulfilled and peace and justice and liberty will be forever ours.

 

I am the light that has come into the world 
so that everyone who believes in me 
will not live in the dark.  
John 12:46

When we believe in Jesus, the light who has come into our world, we are forever changed.  We no longer live in darkness.  Because his light is within us.  We in turn, are lights in this dark world.  And yes….the darkness can not overcome HIS Light!

This is what Christmas is all about!

The LIGHT has come!!  Jesus…Immanuel…God with us.  Now and forever.

Merry Christmas!

Diane

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Comments

  1. Debbi Saunders says

    xDiane,
    A beautiful post today. What a gift he has given you to write and convey his word and promises to us!! He is using you in a great way in your in between time!
    Hope you and your Dear Friends are having a wonderful Day!
    It is 74 in Orlando today, balmy and breezy. I am really enjoying spending this Christmas with my brother for the first time in over 20 years!!! My son is with us too. We will be eating our Turkey/Ham dinner in a few minutes so better close for now.
    Merry Christmas
    Debbi

  2. Praying you had a blessed Christmas!

  3. Mel says

    Such a beautiful atmosphere the photos conveyed all wrapped around a beautiful message. There’s a lot of hope in there……and joy…..and love.

    Peace to you and those around you. I do hope your holiday was filled with joyful celebrations.

  4. bj says

    What a beautiful post…such a blessing to read.
    I so love your fireplace decorations….just stunning…and I just pinned it so I might COPY CAT it next year. 🙂
    No idea where to get those beautiful logs you have, tho.
    Over from Confessions…..

  5. Beautiful!!! I love it all, hope you had a wonderful Christmas. Happy new Year!!!

  6. Bev says

    I love Birch and pine twigs/branches/scent as well. I plan to decorate with them at Christmas for as long as I can. Thanks for sharing! -Bev

    • Diane says

      Aren’t they so much more fun than faux?
      I’m remembering the small book, “A Cup of Christmas Tea” where the aunt was older yet still decorated her house for Christmas. That’s the way I want to be. Especially since Christmas is sooo worthy of the celebration.

      Blessings!!

  7. I think your mantel with the wood is so pretty, and I love the scripture, too!

Trackbacks

  1. […] I am the Light that has come :: Merry Christmas :: 12 Days of Christmas […]

  2. […] we’ve been having fun decorating with birch branches.  You may have seen some of it here and here and […]

  3. […] the front of the house, which for some reason none of my photos turned out, and we used it to decorate the fireplace and mantel area for Christmas as […]

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