My eyes stay open through the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promises. 
(Psalm 119:148)

Of late, I have been reflecting on the promises of God found in the Bible; a reflection that has become the impetus for our upcoming teaching series in the New Year.  From cover to cover, the Word of God is filled with His promises to us; promises that guide and direct our lives, that protect and sustain us, that give us hope and peace.  His Word is our source of truth and light and in it we find help and strength for each new day.

As we close out 2021 and look ahead to a New Year may these promises encourage you as you meditate on them, as we journey together through whatever 2022 brings our way.

“My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” (Exodus 33:14)

The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. (Deuteronomy 31:8)

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye  on you. (Psalm 32:8)

The LORD makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand . (Psalm 37:23-24)

You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.
(Isaiah 26:3)

...those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.  (Isaiah 40:31)

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you;  I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10)

I am the LORD your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you. (Isaiah 41:13)

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11)

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
(Matthew 11:28-29)

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.
​(Philippians 4:19)

I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day. (2 Timothy 1:12)

This is but a small sample size of the hundreds of promises we find in the Bible.  Therefore, I will lis ten to what God the Lord says; he promises peace to his people, his faithful servants. (Psaslm 85:8) 

Perhaps there is a promise you would like to add to this list, please share it with us!  For...You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the Lord your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed.  (Joshua 23:14)

When I think about what Christmas means to me, the words of the prophet Isaiah immediately come to mind...unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given.  There is something wonderful about the traditions we embrace as we celebrate each year, but for me the it is all first and foremost about the Lord Jesus.

Christmas means...

...retelling the story of Jesus -- coming back again and again to Luke chapter 2.

...gathering for our Christmas Eve service.

...embracing our family traditions -- watching Janice decorate as she listens to Christmas music.

...the anticipation of the kids 'coming home' -- just being together.

​...a time to slow down and reflect and give thanks for all of God's blessings.

From Janet Armstrong

Christmas means...

...frankincense the smell, so thick and strong overwhelming with warmth and comfort i didn’t understand.

...sitting in the old wooden high back pews of the little Church of my memory.

...looking upon the Nativity with baby Jesus -- His love, is what i didn’t understand. --now i do --that is Christmas to me.

From Edna Barisoff

Christmas means...

...celebrating the birth of Jesus -- remembering that God loves us so much that he sent His son Jesus that we by faith will have everlasting life.

...spending time with family, to share our love for others and to help other’s in need.

...singing and listening to Christmas Carols.

...attending the Valley Christmas Eve Service with family.

From Lia Pinske

Christmas is a very meaningful time for Bob and me -- it begins with putting our nativity scene on our lawn for all to see who drive by!

Jesus is the reason for the season and that to us is the most important reason for celebrating!

It’s about church, family, lighting up our homes and decorating!

The first few years of my life, we celebrated Sinter Klaas as they did in Holland on December 5th. When I got to school age my Mom and Dad added Christmas on the 25th, but still kept the Dutch tradition!

We pray everyone has a Blessed Christmas!.

It is a phrase we heard often last year at this time, "it's a different Christmas".   Another surge in the coronavirus had led to more restrictions, and to what was truly unprecedented in our lifetime, as we were unable to gather in-person to celebrate Christmas.  Who would have thought then, that year later we would still be saying, "it's a different Christmas"?

The newest variant of this virus, that has gripped the world since early 2020, once again threatens our Christmas traditions and celebrations.  While we hope and pray we will be able to continue to gather together with family and friends and as a community of faith, we also recognize the unknown nature of this variant may yet lead to more measures to protect us--not a place any of us want to go, particulary this time of the year.

For Janice and me, this is indeed "a different Christmas".  While there is great hopefulness with Noah and Luke, there is still a cloud of uncertainty about where they will be on Christmas morning; perhaps still in the NICU at Women's Hospital in Vancouver, perhaps in the NICU at Kelowna General Hosptial, or dare we even think, maybe even 'home for Christmas'?  We continue to covet your prayers to that end!  We celebrate the progress they have made and rejoice in God's grace to them, but we know Christmas this year will be different.  Add to that, still unanswered questions about a personal health matter, and we must confess Christmas just isn't the same this year.

But...in the words of the song writer, I still believe in Christmas, that God so loved this broken world, He sent His only Son (John 3:16).  He left his home in heaven to make heaven my home; my Emmanuel is with me and I'll never be alone. I still believe in healing for the weary and the hurt; and in a world that's so divided, I still believe in peace on earth.  I still believe that love is strong enough to conquer hate; and in a world that won't believe it, I still believe enough to say, God so loved this broken world He sent His only Son. (I Still Believe in Christmas by Anne Wilson)

Every year at Christmas, regardless of what is happening in the world around us, we come back to the wonder and beauty of the baby born in Bethlehem; to the awe-inspiring truth of the incarnation; that God sent His Son to redeem lost mankind, to reconcile us to the Father.  The Christmas story reminds us, we are loved by God. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. (1 John 4:10)

For me, if I can bask in the wonder of such love, if I can hold on by faith to the truth that I am the beloved of the Father, if I can rest in the peace and joy I find in Christ, then "a different Christmas" cannot steal away the hope that is ours in Jesus Christ.  

We might not find much in this world to believe in, but...I still believe in Jesus, the name above all names. (I Still Believe in Christmas by Anne Wilson)

May God help us to believe, and in believing may we be seized again by the wonder and joy of Christmas!