When the angel appeared to the shepherds to announce the birth of Jesus, he said,
Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people (Luke 2:10).
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In Scripture the theme of Immanuel, which means “God with us,” gets repeated over and over with God’s people. The prophecy of Isaiah 7:14 says,
Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Immanuel.
We lead busy lives in the 21st century. Always on the go—an appointment here, a deadline there, the kids need to be picked up, don’t forget about tonight’s previously scheduled engagement…we need a break. We need to be grounded. We need clarity. What we need most is the Word of God:
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path (Psalm 119:105).
During the Christmas season, people have different hopes based on who they are and what stage of life they are in. During the Black Friday/Cyber Monday/Green Tuesday Christmas shopping rush, parents are hoping they got good deals for their children for Christmas presents that didn’t bust their Christmas budgets. Children are hoping their Christmas list is getting filled. Retailers are hoping that consumers are buying and making their store profits go up for the year. Wholesalers are hoping the retailers are selling, so they can sell them more goods to sell later. Manufacturers are hoping…you get the idea.