Christian Reflection and Prayer

Read James 5:7-9.
Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. ...
Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.
James 5:7a, 8

My favorite Christmas cookies growing up were made of
molasses and sugar. We called them "animal cookies"
because we shaped them with animal-shaped cookie cutters.
The worst part of making animal cookies is that once you
mixed up the dough, it had to sit in the refrigerator overnight.
Talk about a test of patience!

As a child, impatience seemed to go hand in hand with
Christmas. It seemed like that great, wonderful, magical day
would never, ever come.

There is a far greater day coming, however. It's that ultimate
Christmas when Jesus Christ will return to this world with all
His angels. He will raise all the dead and judge between those
who believed during their earthly lives, and those who did not.
For us who believe, Jesus will remove every source of evil, pain,
and suffering as He renews His creation and makes it perfect.
Then we will enjoy perfect health, perfect relationships, and a
perfect life forever.

How can we wait for that wonderful day? In today's reading
James tells us to establish our hearts. He means for us to
strengthen our hearts with the certainty of His coming just as
He promised. When our hearts are established the problems
of this life simply don't loom as large because we can clearly
see our God is bigger and stronger than anything we face.

How do you establish your heart? Gather for worship with
your church family. There you will be reminded of Christ's
promises. There your Baptism will be renewed as you confess
your sins and as the Holy Spirit reassures you through the
pastor that those sins are forgiven. There you will receive the
very body and blood that Jesus sacrificed for us on the cross.
And there the Spirit of God will establish your faith and keep
you until that final day. Then you will know a peace and
confidence as all your problems shrink back to their true size,
easily managed by our God and Savior.

THE PRAYER:

Lord Jesus, You have promised to return to this world to make
all things right and perfect forever. Establish my heart in Your
promise so that none of the problems I face will shake my trust
and confidence in You. Amen.

(Lutheran Hour Ministries)

"If One Goes Out They All Go Out"

Read Isaiah 35:8-10.
And the ransomed of the LORD shall return and come to Zion
with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they
shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall
flee away. Isaiah 35:10

I have a love-hate relationship with my Christmas lights. I love
them when they work. I hate them when they don't. Sometimes
a single bulb goes dark; sometimes it's a section; sometimes
it's the whole string. Often they are all working when you put
them up. But then, usually on a dark night when snow is falling,
the temperature is dropping, and a cold wind is blowing, you
look up to admire them and you see some of them are unlit.

When I was a kid miniature bulbs had one huge drawback-the
electric current had to run all the way through each and every
bulb or it wouldn't run through any of them. So if one bulb went
out, they all went out. Sometimes our joy at Christ's birth
seems like that. We get the idea we will only have a great
Christmas if everything goes perfectly. But if one part of life
goes badly, it steals the joy and leaves us in darkness.

But vast improvements in miniature bulb strings have been
made since I was a kid. Now, when a bulb burns out, current
still runs through the base of that bulb to the next. As a result,
you may have lights burned out, but the rest will keep shining.

Odds are this Christmas won't find everything perfect in your
life. You may have good health and a good job, but are
struggling with relationship problems. Your family may get
along fine, but you're having troubles paying your bills. It might
be everything else is good, but this is the first Christmas
since a loved one died and it just doesn't feel like Christmas
without him or her.

It's hard to keep from letting one problem crowd out our joy and
thankfulness. It's hard, that is, until you stop and think about the
first Christmas. Joseph and Mary were not wealthy people. And
since there was no room to lodge, they had to wrap Jesus in
swaddling cloths and lay Him in a manger-a rough feeding trough.
But the lack of a crib did not diminish the joy of that first
Christmas. The joy still shone through because the Son of God,
the Savior of the world, was here.

On that first Christmas, Jesus Christ began sharing our sorrows,
our problems, our pains, and our sufferings. Eventually He shared
our death and God's wrath. But through His perfect life and
innocent suffering and death, He conquered our death and won for
us eternal life. Until His glorious return to this earth, our lives will
not be perfect and neither will our Christmases. But He will change
all of that upon His return. Never again will there be sorrow, loss,
grief, suffering, or pain. All of that will flee in His glorious presence,
and we will be crowned with eternal joy and gladness.

THE PRAYER:

 Lord Jesus, because of Your great sacrifice, I have reason to rejoice
and be glad all the days of my life. Comfort me in my sorrows this
Christmas. Please open my eyes to see those who suffer around me
so I can offer them that same comfort. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen.

(Lutheran Hour Ministries)

"Dreaming of a White Christmas"

Read Isaiah 35:1-7.
Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees.
Say to those who have an anxious heart, "Be strong; fear not!
Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the
recompense of God. He will come and save you." Isaiah 35:3-4

Ordinarily I love a white Christmas, but that was the last thing
my wife and I wanted for Christmas 2002. Mom was dying of
cancer and we hoped desperately to be able to drive back the
550 miles for Christmas. The weather forecast in the days
leading up to the holidays wasn't good and, sure enough, on
December 24 there were eight inches of snow on the ground
and more expected to fall through the day. We were forced to
cancel Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services at church,
and soon it became painfully clear we would miss gathering
for Mom's last Christmas here on earth.

There are times in our lives and, sadly, at our Christmases,
when we face problems that make us anxious, troubled, and
fearful. Maybe you face great struggles this Christmas. Maybe
you are hanging at the end of your rope. Maybe, instead of
getting better, things are getting worse. It might seem God
doesn't care at all.

Our Lord Jesus understands that feeling better than we can
imagine. As He hung from the cross enduring the fiery wrath
of God for our sins He cried out, "My God, My God, why have
You forsaken Me?" (Matthew 27:46b). God the Father did not
forsake His only begotten Son because of anything Jesus
Himself had done. He forsook His Son because Jesus took
upon Himself the punishment that should have fallen on
each of us.

That is God's love for all fallen men, women, and children. He
demonstrated that love when He sent His Son at Christmas,
the baby in Bethlehem's manger, to be our sacrifice, the pure
Lamb who would take away the sins of the world.

Jesus died and rose again to be our Good Shepherd. Having
defeated death He is with us forever. When we are at the end
of our wits, Jesus is there to hear our prayers and comfort us.
"Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will
give you rest" (Matthew 11:28).

Come to Bethlehem's manger. Come see Your Lord and
Savior who was born to rescue you and bring you to eternal
life in heaven.

THE PRAYER:

Lord Jesus, there are so many times when I'm at a loss and
when I don't know where to turn. Remind me to come to You
humbly and completely. You are my Lord and my risen Savior
who has conquered death, hell, and given me eternal life. Amen.

(Lutheran Hour Ministries)