God’s Promise for the Pain of Christmas

 

Current Teaching Series Christmas: Don't Give Up, Look Up

God's Promise for the Pain of Christmas By Rick Warren — December 21, 2018 "Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity" (Joel 2:13 NIV). We often have an idealized and romanticized picture of the days leading up to the first Christmas. We see Christmas cards and nativity scenes, and we assume those days were stress-free. But that's far from how those involved in the first Christmas actually felt. The very first Christmas didn't start out as a merry time for most of those involved. The news that Jesus was coming stressed everyone out. Mary was confused and worried. An angel had told her that she would give birth to the Son of God. She didn't know what would happen to her engagement. Her future seemed bleak. Joseph was hurt and brokenhearted. His fiancée had told him that she was pregnant. He felt hurt and cheated on. The shepherds were afraid. They saw a bright light and watched angels appear out of nowhere. The wise men were exhausted. They traveled a long way to get to Jesus. They were ready for rest. You may be in similar shoes this Christmas. You may feel confused, hurt, afraid, or simply exhausted. What does this Christmas story have to say to you? Over the next few devotionals, I'll go deeper into how each of these central characters in the Christmas story responded to their pain—and how God changed everything for them in response. But they all have one thing in common: They turned to God. The Bible says, "Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity" (Joel 2:13 NIV). No matter what you're going through, God loves you. When you turn to God, he won't turn away. On that very first Christmas, every one of these characters turned to God. They all looked to him to meet their greatest needs. God was there for Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, and the wise men. He'll be there for you, tooPLAY today's audio teaching from Pastor Rick >> Talk About It At this moment, which of the characters described above can you identify with the most, and why? What is keeping you from turning to God despite the problems you're facing? How can you help someone else who is hurting this Christmas season?

Our Gift: Daily Hope 2018 Prayer Journal Do you sometimes struggle with how to talk and listen to God? The good news is he longs to hear your prayers, whether it's a bold cry or a whisper. And your words don't need to be perfect. He delights in you when you come before him—in thanksgiving and petition. Jesus says in John 15:7 . . . "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you." So the key to praying with hope and expectation is abiding in Christ—and we want to help you do that with the all-new Daily Hope Prayer Journal. Your faith will be strengthened and you will be blessed as you look back on your written prayers and see how God has faithfully answered them. It has a soft cork-like cover on the outside, while inside you'll find . . . • Bible verses and suggestions to help you pray for specific people and situations • Practical encouragement for your prayer life from Pastor Rick • Plenty of space to write out your prayer requests and how God answers them LEARN MORE

Complete Audio Series (Purchase) Includes 3 full-length teaching CDs from Pastor Rick's series Christmas: Don't Give Up, Look Up. LEARN MORE

Series Summary Message 1: Who God Chooses and Uses Message 2: Don't Give Up, Look Up Message 3: The Greatest Gift You Will Ever Be Given PLAY TODAY'S BROADCAST

Pastor Rick Warren

Enjoy today's Devotional? Listen instantly to the full radio message at Daily Hope Radio. Did someone forward this devotional to you? Subscribe to Pastor Rick Warren's Daily Devotional. This devotional is based on the current Daily Hope radio series at pastorrick.com. Rick Warren has helped people live with hope and on purpose for more than 40 years. He's the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Southern California and author of several books, including The Purpose Driven Church and The Purpose Driven Life, which has been translated into 137 languages and sold more than 50 million copies in all formats. He created the PEACE Plan (plant churches of reconciliation, equip servant leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, educate the next generation), which is used by churches in 196 countries. His radio teaching and daily devotional, Daily Hope, is offered around the world. This devotional © 2018 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission. You can unsubscribe at any time by changing your e-mail preferences. Update your preferences | Unsubscribe

 

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