December 23, 2018

A GOD WHO IS NEAR

Jeremiah 23:23-24

“I am a God who is near,” says the Lord, “and not a God afar off. Can a man hide in secret, and I not see him? Do I not fill heaven and earth?” says the Lord.

Encouraging Words

As we come together in our homes and churches around the world to celebrate the birth of our incarnate Lord and Savior I am reminded by this verse of the uniqueness of the Christian belief. When our God says He is near to us it is not some ethereal promise that He is giving us. His nearness came in the form of a child that was born of a lowly, common family, in a time when the known world was under the oppression of a conceited and arrogant leader. It was a world filled with grief, hunger, wars, and sicknesses. Our God chose to become a human being so that we could become His adopted and deeply loved children. No other religious belief has this as their core teaching. God became man so that man can become His children. As so many of us reflect on the beauty and miracle of this day so many years ago, we are reminded that we too are the shepherds that the angels are hearkening to, hearkening to come and see the infant on the manger wrapped in swaddling clothes. We too are the wise men who are traveling far to find the King Who will set all of mankind and creation free from bondage. And we, like so many that have gone before us can celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ and the entry of new life to our world. Glory be to God!