In today’s Scripture reading, you receive a particular kind of invitation. It’s an invitation to pour out your heart. This is a different kind of invitation from ones we’re used to. What does this invitation tell us?
God Extends an Invitation
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The Joy of Christmas and the New Birth
The birth of Jesus Christ brought great joy. Even before he was born, when his mother, Mary, met with her cousin Elizabeth, the baby in Elizabeth’s womb “leaped for joy” (Luke 1:44). When a mighty host of angels appeared to lowly shepherds, the angel of the Lord announced the birth of Jesus by saying, “Fear …
The Joy of Christmas and the Church
’Tis the season to be jolly—right? Just because we sing it and say it doesn’t necessarily make it true. The joy of Christmas—something that comes so naturally when we are children—can feel increasingly unattainable as we grow older. As we face more hardships and go through darker trials, our joy can grow dull. What can …
Comforted by the Joy of Heaven
What are you grieving this Christmas? What makes you anxious as you approach the year’s end? Christmas may be a time of joy, but the gaps in our joy become all the clearer for that. In your discomfort and pain, where do you look for solace? During a dark period of political oppression, Simeon awaited …
Christmas Joy and Your Worship
“God wants you to be happy!” I sometimes wonder if those of us in the Reformed world view such statements with mild suspicion. He desires us to be holy, sure. He wants us to walk in the truth, of course. But happy? At best, it’s a low-priority side benefit. Yet the angels announced the coming …