Joy! to Your World! A Countdown to ChristmasSample

It’s Christmas! Let’s go on a journey to Bethlehem by taking a lingering and delicious look at the Christmas story found in the Bible. This historical account of the birth of Jesus didn’t start in Bethlehem or even in Nazareth ... but it began with an elderly couple who knew the fulfillment of a life well-lived for God. The Bible describes Elizabeth and Zacharias in the loveliest of ways: “They were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord.” - Luke 1:6 Elizabeth and Zacharias had been married many years and yet still had no babies. The heartache must have been wrenching for this priest and his wife, but the Bible records they continued to walk blamelessly in every aspect of their relationship to the Lord. How do you respond to disappointment? Do you use it as an excuse for over-indulgence or griping and complaining? Although Elizabeth and Zacharias had empty arms and dashed hopes, they continued to serve God wholeheartedly as the long years continued to pass. The Bible says that the prayer of the righteous one avails much! (James 5:16) When you continue to live a righteous life ... and continue to pray ... your prayers will get the job done. The Bible also says that the righteous live by faith. (Habakuk 2:4) Elizabeth and Zacharias continued to walk by faith and not by sight. Elizabeth’s name actually means “God is my Oath”. Elizabeth believed the promises of God long after others would have given up in frustration. She believed that God was listening to her prayers while her friends cooed over their own babies and then years later rocked their grandchildren to sleep. I hope that the first lesson you will learn in the Christmas story is to be patient with God. Trust God even when your circumstances are challenging. Continue to live a righteous life through days of disappointment. Pray fervently and believe that God is listening to your prayers. Continue to embrace a positive heart attitude when you don’t get your own way. Allow the loveliness of Elizabeth to remind you that true believers walk by faith and not by sight.