It's that time of the year again, where the sights and sounds of Christmas are all around us. Ornaments and lights glisten on trees, the smell of gingerbread lingers in the air, and the melodious songs of Christmas echo in our ears.But for many this most wonderful time of the year is an intense reminder of their loss. After the death of a loved one and a special holiday arrives, such as Christmas, we often feel the pain more intensely. It is a time where the absence of their presence is felt deeply.
What would they have done or said if they were here? What am I missing with them gone? How can I go on without them?
While these types of questions are normal, God gives us instruction in how to not only get through the Holidays, whether Christmas, New Year's, a birthday, or any special holiday, but to grow closer to God through life's difficulties. Here are three keys for the Holidays that will help you unlock the joy of the Lord in your heart both now and all year long.
1 - Know that the Lord, He is God - This is the first key to your understanding of how to deal with hardship. Psalm 100 is a Bible passage that my dad taught us as kids and it is stuck in my brain like glue. Read these powerful words of God carefully and let them sink deep into your heart and see what God will do! "Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands! Serve the LORD with gladness; Come before His presence with singing, Know that the LORD, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise, Be thankful unto Him and bless His name. For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations." When we praise God through the difficulties, God will give us a new perspective - His perspective.
2 - Trust in the Lord with all your heart - The second key is a familiar saying from a very familiar Bible passage. Many people have learned these two favorite verses and put them to memory. Proverbs 3:5 &6 says, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths." Trust the Lord. But how? You can trust Him by not leaning on your own understanding and by acknowledging Him in all your ways. And God makes a promise to you that when you trust Him, He will direct your paths. He will help you and lead you in the way you should go. He will show you what you need to know to not only survive the Holidays, but to thrive.
3 - See the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living - Yes, if your loved one knew Jesus as Savior they are alive and well with the Lord. Rest assured in that promise of God! But what about us who are left on earth in this land of the living? We hurt, however we need to see the goodness of God. That is the third key. Not only do we need to understand that God is good but we need to see His goodness in our lives. Psalm 27:13,14 gives us instruction. "I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart. Wait I say, on the LORD!" Waiting on the LORD and being of good courage involves reading the Bible to know what God says. When you do, God says He will strengthen your heart. That's God's promise. Will you claim it today?
Don't lose heart! Know the Lord. Trust the Lord. See His goodness. And you will grow closer to God and you will experience the most wonderful time of the year.
Remember, I am praying for you. Jesus loves you with an everlasting love. Have a joyous Christmas and New Year.
Love,
Susan
