The Advent season is upon us and we’re reflecting on the themes of Hope, Love, Peace, and Joy this month as we prepare to celebrate Christmas. In this week of Christmas, we end with the greatest of all the gifts God gives us in Jesus – Joy!

IN WORD – God’s rejection of Israel came only after Israel’s rejection of God. That happens sometimes between spouses, and usually the rejection is permanent. But the forgiving Husband portrayed by Hosea had something better in mind. He would eventually bring His people into a place of intimacy deeper than they had ever experienced. His own Spirit would one day intermingle with their hearts and commune with them in the private places of their souls.
Has there ever been such a dramatic restoration? In our hearts, where once there was adultery and heart-wrenching betrayal, now there’s intimacy. Where there were disowned, illegitimate children, now there are sons of the living God. In the place where all seemed lost and hopeless—where irreconcilable differences seemed truly irreconcilable—there’s fullness and joy. There’s even a promise of living happily ever after.
That’s why we can never write off the depravity of our world as unredeemable. No matter how vile and disgraceful a person’s actions, that person is never out of the reach of God. Though human husbands will only put up with so much infidelity, the divine Husband will forgive all who turn back to Him. In a world we tend to divide between “us” and “them,” we need to remember that “them” always has the potential to be “us.”
IN DEED – If that’s not how you approach your world, change your attitude. No one has ever offended any of us to the degree that Israel offended God, yet God still brought about redemption for a remnant purely out of His mercy and love. Wherever our love falls short of that, we need to bring it into conformity with the heart of a holy Husband who delights in His spotless bride. He doesn’t even see her stains anymore. Neither should we. Instead, learn to see the purity of a heart in love with God, and do whatever you can to cultivate it—in yourself, in your church, and in your world. “Redemption means that Jesus Christ can put into any man the disposition that ruled His own life.” —Oswald Chambers (in “Worship the King” by Chris Tiegreeen)

The birth of Christ was truly a pivot in humanity’s history, for it opened the door to a new trajectory that only God could have created. Left to ourselves, humanity’s future can only end in nihilism and judgment. But in God becoming flesh, to dwell among us and eventually die on our behalf, a new path of redemption and restoration is open for us.
Are you in need of being reminded of this wonderful hope we have in Jesus? Take time to read Luke 1-4 and John 1 this week and ask the Holy Spirit to deepen your understanding of the joy of the hope, peace, and love we have in Jesus. Have a blessed Christmas! – from Singapore, Pastor Sam