Today as we looked at our advent devotions, we moved to the story of Jacob, Isaac's son. One night as Jacob is sleeping, he receives a vision from God- a ladder from heaven, with angels descending and ascending. In this dream God makes a promise to Jacob, similar to Abraham, that He will have numerous descendants and that he will receive the land that God has promised...
But the words that stand out so boldly to me are these: God said, "I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go... I will not leave you..." (Genesis 28:15).
When Jacob wakes up from this dream, he knows that God's Presence is with him, and always has been... he declares:
"Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it." (Genesis 28:16)
Christmas is a time of great celebration and joy because of the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ... but I am not unaware of the reality that Christmas is also hard for those same reasons.
Maybe you have lost someone close to you this past year... or maybe you are without a job and that makes Christmas difficult this year... or maybe you are battling an illness or awaiting test results... or maybe you are feeling an overwhelming amount of stress because of family situations.
If celebrating and living joyfully is difficult for you this season, because of hard times, let this story remind you that Jesus is right there with you, watching over you. He will NEVER leave you!
May you have full assurance and peace that He is carrying you this Christmas season, and that even though there is struggle, He has come that you may have life, and have it to the fullest... we can take heart- because He has overcome the world! (John 16:33)
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