Psalm 16:5
“You, LORD, are all I have, and you give me all I need; my future is in your hands.”
Romans 8:28
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
The worldwide pandemic of four years ago profoundly altered our lives, and many folks continue to deal with fear and uncertainty about what the future holds. In particular, we may wonder how the elections will impact our society. If you think this is a chaotic time now with emotions running high on the issues affecting our cities across America—besides the issues of inflation, violence, diseases, and foreign wars—we should be praying even harder for our country once the results are tallied. Right now, we may be dealing with a mix of emotions: hopes and fears.
It may be too early for Christmas Carols but one has come to mind recently, “O Little Town of Bethlehem.” Don’t we all need a little Christmas right now? The words of the song remind us of a time, long ago, when darkness filled the earth, hope and fears were all that filled the hearts of the people:
“O little town of Bethlehem,
How still we see thee lie.
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by;
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting Light;
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in Thee tonight.
The words we sing at Christmastime speak of a darkness that existed in the world. Until Jesus came. It is suggested by writers of old that when Jesus was born a hush fell over the earth; stars were silent; mortals slept dreamless sleep. The dark streets of Bethlehem were lit by one single light source—the Light Everlasting. And then we sing the verse that really brings it all home, “The hopes and fears of all the years are met in Thee tonight.” The hope and fears that had been carried and accumulated century upon century, generation after generation, by all people of this earth, were finally realized and met in the person of Jesus Christ. Emmanuel, God with us, came down and met us right here where we live, to meet our need for hope of eternal life and freedom from fear. We no longer have need of fear; we are no longer shackled by fear for we have been released from it by Jesus. There’s no better time for us to be reminded, once again, of the message of Christmas, that Jesus, our Emmanuel, God with us, holds our future in His hands.
Thank you, Lord, for Your timeless message of hope that we need right now. Release us from the fears that we are holding onto needlessly. Grant us Your peace and grace to move ahead in the future, whatever it holds, for it is all in Your hands. In the name of the One who is our Hope, Jesus. Amen.
