Security in a world that seems out of control
The world seems out of control right now, don’t you think? There is a war in the Ukraine that has now dragged on for a long time. The Middle East, which is often unsettled, seems more divided than ever with active war zones in different places. There are countless refugees stranded from their homes around the world. The cost of living has shot up in most countries in the past year with basic housing out of reach for many. There is problem after problem.
And that is before we look at our own lives. Every person and every family has some kind of problem. Maybe you are looking for work or struggling with disability or disease or the effects of older age. Maybe you have great rifts in your family, which on Christmas Day become more obvious than on other days of the year. It is not hard to see that our world is full of problems, most of them too big for us to start to consider fixing.
It is precisely in a time like this that we need to remember the message of Christmas. No, not the one that says that you need to spend more on presents, or the one that says that you need to match the holiday experiences that your friends are sharing on social media at the moment. The biggest message, the most important one, the one that the angel delivered to the shepherds so many years ago:
10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
(Lk. 2:10-11 ESV)
Christmas reminds us that in the middle of uncertainty and crises, we have been given Jesus, our Saviour and our Lord. This happened just as God promised for thousands of years, fulfilling promises to Abraham, to David, and to the prophets. Life might seem out of control to us, but it is not out of control to God. Everything happens just as He wants it to.
So when you think about what the future holds, and so much is telling you to panic and worry and be afraid, remember Jesus. Jesus has saved all who trust in Him from our sins, and that is true whatever else is happening in our lives. Jesus remains the Lord today, and that has been confirmed by his death and resurrection. The future is bright for Christians.
God remains in control of our world. That is true today like it has always been true.