By: Richard Berry
As the year draws to a close, I don’t think I have ever seen or experienced as much uncertainty as I now find all around me, and quite frankly, I don’t see things changing anytime soon. There are so many things over which I have no control such as my children’s and grandchildren’s futures, my health, pandemics, the economy, politics, abortion, human trafficking, crime, and so on. I want to share with each of you the reason I have a peace that surpasses all understanding even though things may seem so out of control in this crazy world. I am unashamedly a Christian, and I have never been more thankful as I am now! My God sits on His throne! I don’t know the answers or outcomes to all the problems I see around me, but I know the ONE who does! Nothing that is happening is taking God by surprise! He isn’t like us watching a scary movie with our hands over our eyes because we didn’t see that coming! Did you ever stop to think that God is using and allowing all this uncertainty to help us understand that trying to control things is not only exhausting but impossible? God sent Jesus to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10). Jesus said in John 16:33, “I have told you these things so that in me you may have PEACE. In this world you WILL HAVE TROUBLE but take heart! I have overcome the world!” Solomon, recorded in history as one of the wisest men in history said in Proverbs 3, 5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.”
Becoming a Christian does NOT mean that the uncertainty and troubles will go away. It does mean though that in the middle of storms that life brings, you can have peace knowing that God works ALL THINGS for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). Surrendering your life to Jesus means that He is Lord of all, and you are not. It is such a freedom to know that the Creator of the universe is protecting you, providing for you, and working out His perfect will every day in your life. God is so patient with us, and He wants none of us to perish. He will let us exhaust ourselves trying to control and fix everything until we run out of options.
There has never been a better time than NOW, Christmas, to surrender your life to Jesus. Admit that you are a sinner in need of forgiveness, that you cannot do enough good to work your way to Heaven, and that Jesus lived a perfect life, died on a cross, and was raised from the dead leaving an empty tomb! It’s just that simple! All we have to do is accept the free gift of salvation Jesus offers to all of us! Salvation gives us grace which is defined as something given to us that we can’t earn or deserve, and it offers us mercy which is being saved from something that we do deserve. We all deserve eternal separation from God but accepting His one and only Son gives us not only peace, joy, love, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control while we are here on earth; but, it also gives us eternal life! We will die physically, but if we are saved, we will not die spiritually! Physical death becomes just the next step to living forever in Heaven with Jesus! For those of us who have accepted Jesus’ free gift of salvation, please make this Christmas season a time to tell everyone we know this incredibly good news. For those of you who have never accepted God’s Son, please do it now! Your eternity in Heaven will be secured, and your life here on earth will be forever changed!
I want to leave you with the lyrics from one of my favorite old hymns: “Trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey.” I wish all of you and your families God’s richest blessings as we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. MERRY CHRISTMAS!