Introduction

Jesus came to earth so that He could save humanity from their sins. He provided grace upon grace for every season of our life, and each Christmas season we reflect with wonder and awe how He humbled Himself to draw near to us. This plan is designed to walk you through the effects of Jesus' birth on your future, present, and past. There is no aspect of your life that His timeless wonder cannot reach and heal!

Day 1

Have you ever wondered why Jesus said it would be better for the Spirit to come than for Him to be with us physically? Christmas is the story of the Son of God being made flesh and dwelling with us. Emmanuel. The indwelling of His Holy Spirit is Him coming to dwell in us. The Holy Spirit is Christ's own spirit, the Wonderful Counselor, living within us and empowering us to live like Jesus.

William Temple explained it this way: “It is no good giving me a play like Hamlet or King Lear, and telling me to write a play like that. Shakespeare could do it; I can’t. And it is no good showing me a life like the life of Jesus and telling me to live a life like that. Jesus could do it; I can’t. But if the genius of Shakespeare could come and live in me, then I could write plays like that. And if the Spirit of Jesus could come and live in me, then I could live a life like that.” We have the gift of the Holy Spirit guiding us from within to live as Christ would.

Despite this truth, so many of us are wracked with worry about the future, especially at Christmas. Our questions can begin to consume us. Who will I become? What will I accomplish? What will my legacy be? We’ve forgotten what the Bible calls the seal of God’s promise. This seal is a legal symbol of ownership. By His spirit, we are marked as sons and daughters that are safeguarded, protected, and provided for. He’s given us the “spirit of adoption.” Everything He has is ours. This is our inheritance of grace, and we can’t outspend it. Our promise for the present is that He’s with us every moment. Our promise for the future is that He who began a good work in us will be faithful to finish it. He has never failed before, and He will not fail now.

So, anytime we start to notice anxiety creeping in about the future, we can pause and ask the Holy Spirit to help us pinpoint where that feeling is coming from. Fear and doubt have had the same source since the garden. We need to ask, “What lie am I believing that’s costing me my peace?” The Wonderful Counselor and the Prince of Peace are one and the same, and He leads us back to Himself. He is Emmanuel, God within us.

Action Step: Can you pinpoint any areas of anxiety where you might be partnering with a spirit of fear concerning the future? Invite the Holy Spirit to counsel you and remind you what is true.

*Quote from Basic Christianity by John R. W. Stott text for day one devotional content.