The weary world rejoices! Christ has come this Christmas. Rejoice & find joy.

The weary world rejoices… These well known words to a Christmas carol are fraught with meaning.

The weary world. I don’t know about you, but I am weary for so many reasons in my own life. This year I find myself quite sick heading into Christmas. The stay in your bed, you keep getting worse kind of sickness. Weary. Less than ideal circumstances. Last year also we headed toward Christmas with less than ideal circumstances, and yet, we had so much to thank the Lord in. This year too I am weary and spent and yet rejoicing in blessings in my life.

How weary are you friend? For what things are you weary for, waiting for, hoping for? God already knows those reasons you are weary. And He provides hope. The hope that doesn’t disappoint this Christmas.

It’s easy to forget that the very first Christmas occurred under less than ideal circumstances… a hard and strenuous journey at the end of a pregnancy, uncertainty, flexibility, laboring, weariness… the task of finding a place to lay their head was not easy. If you have ever birthed a child, you can easily put yourself in Mary’s shoes- the anticipation, the fear and possibly decreased expectations, and even the anxiousness and urgency of finding someplace private to give birth because the time is now and babies don’t wait once the contractions have begun… Also facing the unknown as she had never labored before. Less than ideal circumstances. The weary world. The weariness of giving birth and the joy and exultation in finally delivering your baby and holding them for the first time… All the waiting and planning and hoping come to realization in that moment. The absolute relief of being done laboring and being able to delight in your little one finally and also now having the ability to physically rest.

This culmination of Mary birthing her baby and her and Joseph meeting him finally was eclipsed by the magnitude of knowledge that they were coming face to face with the Messiah, with God, in human form. I can only imagine the joy and awe being multiplied tenfold as they looked down on this tiny baby and considered all that had transpired, all that the angels had told them about the Messiah and the miracle of Jesus. The weary world rejoices.

How beautiful those words are. The weary world rejoices. Why? Because there is hope that doesn’t diminish as we look to this Christ. This Jesus who humbled Himself to become a human in order to ultimately make a way for us to have relationship with Him again and find eternal life through what He accomplished on the cross. He was born into less than ideal circumstances- Ones that didn’t stop after He was born. Remember Mary and Joseph having to flee to Egypt to protect Him at a young age while Herod killed all the baby boys anywhere close in age to what this new king was thought to be age wise. Less than ideal circumstances, and yet, God was in the midst. God had a plan. And, God still used ordinary, normal people like Mary and Joseph in order to carry out His mighty plans.

What plan is God calling you to friend? What is He drawing you toward? Don’t give up just because the road is difficult or there are roadblocks in the way. The weary world rejoices. If God is truly calling you to it, then keep moving forward in it, in faith, asking Him to lead the way each step. Rejoice while you are weary. Look for the blessings and miracles in your life, because I can assure you, they are there.

Christmas isn’t about perfection. It never was. It’s about coming face to face with the hope of Jesus and the mighty miracle of His descension to earth. It’s about rejoicing in spite of the weariness and less than ideal circumstances you face. It’s about looking to the only One who can provide healing and comfort and joy this season. His name is Jesus, Messiah. Let us focus on that truth this season and find hope that won’t diminish or fade. Hope that isn’t based on the perfect gifts or decorations or plans, but an expectant waiting, watching, rejoicing in the midst of the weariness… and thereby finding true JOY. Joy that comes thru Jesus. Amen.