“And behold, a virgin will bear a son and you will call him Emmanuel, for his name means God with us.” Isaiah 7:14

Happy Friday, everyone. You know, I was thinking this week about Christmas and I came across a note that my mom had written about the way that she remembered our Christmas Eves. And it just brought a lot of joy to me, but it reminded me of this thought of how Christmas has changed in so many ways as we get older.

And it was a reminder for me to once again return to the manger as a child. I want to send you into this weekend as we prepare to step into December and as we prepare to step towards Christmas, to consider entering this Christmas season as a child. With curiosity, with wonderment, with awe, with questions, with excitement. Because that is what we have in Jesus.

In fact, this verse alone should cause us to sit and ponder just as it did for the Virgin Mary. And that verse is from Isaiah 7:14, “And behold, a virgin will bear a son and you will call him Emmanuel, for his name means God with us.” A virgin bearing a son, that son being the very Son of God, going into a manger, being laid on a bed of hay, headed for a Roman cross so that you and I might one day see Him face to face in the place where He has returned now to the right hand of the Father.

I pray that you go with joy into this weekend and that you would spend a few moments reflecting with curiosity and with hearts full of joy as we prepare for this Christmas season.

Prayer
Lord Jesus, we thank You very much for all the blessings that You give to us, and especially the blessing that You gave to us in Your son.

Help us as we approach this Christmas holiday season to come as children with a childlike faith that we would trust and believe. And with anticipation, curiosity, wonderment and awe, celebrate that time when You first came, but also so mindful of the fact that You will come again. And so bless us this Christmas. We pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.