Advent Calendar - The Days After Christmas...

Now What?

 

Saturday and Sunday, the Days After Christmas…

Today’s Readings: Nehemiah 8:10, Matthew 2:10, Luke 4:18-19

I don’t know about you… but I was tempted to be downcast this morning as I got out of bed and thought, “Christmas is ALL over, NOW WHAT?”  Was I alone in that reaction today?  After weeks and weeks of hype, unending Christmas music and all those commercials on TV telling us what items we just can’t live without… its all finished!  Most houses have nothing but scraps of brightly decorated torn Christmas wrapping paper under their trees, piles of dirty dishes in the sink… and if you have kids… all kinds of toys, Lego pieces and empty battery packages all over the house!  But, if you’re like me… the one good thing is the leftovers in the refrigerator from yesterday’s scrumptious meal!

So, what do we do?  How do we recoup, refocus and prepare for whatever comes next? Well, that’s actually a question that I have been asking myself daily over the last few months.  After the year we have all had with the COVID-19 pandemic, I sense that 2021 is going to be a much better year for all of us despite the continued doom and gloom that the potential current President Elect continues to declare.

While praying over the upcoming year a week or so ago, I suddenly heard the familiar words that Jesus spoke at the beginning of His earthly ministry as He stood and read a portion of scripture from the book of Isaiah which prophesized that very day saying:

"The Spirit of the Lord is with me. He has anointed me to tell the Good News to the poor. He has sent me to announce forgiveness to the prisoners of sin and the restoring of sight to the blind, to forgive those who have been shattered by sin, to announce the year of the Lord's favor." (Luke 4:18-19/Isaiah 61:1-3 God’s Word ©)

As I highlighted in the text above, the portions of the prophecy that stuck out in my thoughts was Jesus announcing the Good News that 2021 was going to be a year of the Lord’s favor for those of us who believe His Word and actively walk in faith for its fulfillment in each of our lives.

Then as I read from Matthew 2:10 over the last two days, I must admit that I got REALLY excited when I thought of the reaction of the three Wise Men who were searching for Jesus and saw the star which led them to His abode, who “When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.” (KJV)  The Passion Translation declares that “when they saw the star, they were so ecstatic that they shouted and celebrated with unrestrained joy.”  And the Message Bible states that “They could hardly contain themselves: They were in the right place! They had arrived at the right time!”

The Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary explains that the language (used in this verse) “is very strong, expressing exuberant transport.”  A footnote in The Passion Translation informs the reader that “The Greek is hard to translate since it contains so many redundant words for joy in this one verse.  It literally reads, ‘They rejoiced with a great joy exceedingly.’  They were ecstatic!”

I like that… How about YOU?  That’s how I am preparing myself to receive the favor of God throughout the rest of 2020 and all of 2021.  And because I have God’s Word on it, I am going to expect God’s best… and I will not apologize for it!  And AGAIN, I’ll ask: “HOW ABOUT YOU?”

So, I’ll go back to my first question a few paragraphs up in this post… “What do we do?  How do we recoup, refocus and prepare for whatever comes next?”  Well, if your anything like me, you’ll do just like the three Wise Men did when they saw the star. (symbolizing, the revelation and light of God’s Word!) “They were so ecstatic that they shouted and celebrated with unrestrained joy!” After all, I would think that they weren’t known as “WISE MEN” for nothing! 

So, YES… I too am excited about the New Year ahead.  And when things don’t look the way that I think that they should, then I am gonna rejoice and be glad and let my JOY in the Lord be not only my strength but also the vessel that will carry me into His Favor! (See: Nehemiah 8:10)

How About YOU?  Merry Days After Christmas Everyone!  Keep expecting God’s best for you in the new Year and keep sounding off the JOY of the Lord throughout your days ahead!