And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. Luke 2:8-11
This year 2020 has been unlike anything any of us expected. As it draws to a close, I find myself feeling relieved that it’s almost over. I am also desperately wishing that 2021 will be a new year indeed, one of hope and promise, rather than fear and devastation.
As we look in the rearview mirror at 2020, it’s easy to focus on the negatives. Often, our minds have a negative bias that naturally pulls us to negative thoughts. We dwell on what didn’t go well and what we lost in the process. Not to minimize our real losses, but when we fixate on the negatives, joy and contentment flee as fear and despair worm their way into our hearts and minds.
Even in “normal” times, when we focus on what we lack rather than on what we have, we will be discouraged. When our perspective skews to the negative, that negativity poisons not just our thought life, but our attitudes, words, and actions as well.
We have to consciously steer our thoughts toward the positive or as 2 Corinthians 10:5* says, we need to take our thoughts captive, especially the negative ones. While it may seem counter-intuitive, the shortcut to joy in the midst of despair is gratitude.
Instead of dwelling on what we don’t have, shift the focus to what we do have. What we each have is relative, of course. But even seemingly minor things are often what we take for granted, like the breath in our lungs or the newness of another day. Maybe it’s food on the table, a roof over our heads, or connecting with someone we love. Or maybe, as the Bible puts it in Psalm 51:12*, it’s restoring the joy of our salvation by thanking Jesus for His sacrifice to reconcile us to God who is still in control despite any seemingly contradictory circumstances.
Gratitude blossoms into joy. Taking a few minutes each day to reconnect with what we are grateful for allows joy to bloom in our hearts and a new perspective to spring up in our minds. Our souls find peace and contentment in spite of the unfortunate circumstances swirling around our feet.
Maintaining joy in the face of despair is not “Pollyanna-ish”. In fact, it’s actually biblical. In Philippians 4:4*, we are actually commanded to rejoice in the Lord always. That doesn’t mean to rejoice in our circumstances but in spite of them. It’s focusing vertically on the Lord rather than horizontally on our current landscape. We can rejoice in God because, regardless of our circumstances, God’s grace is sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9*), Jesus is with us always (Matthew 28:20b), and His love for us never ends (Lamentations 3:22). When we allow the Holy Spirit to rein freely in our hearts, joy is one of the Spirit’s manifestations (Galatians 5:22-23*).
Our key verses today are from a familiar passage about the birth of Jesus. This angelic birth announcement comes first to shepherds who are uneducated men and low on society’s ladder. They are in the middle of an ordinary night of protecting their sheep from predators. How like God to seek out the lowly and marginalized and elevate them to a place of honor. But when the shepherds see this stunning apparition, they are afraid. They have never before seen the dazzling brilliance of an angel. When they realize this pure, holy light is from God, they are acutely aware of their own sinfulness. The angel reassures the shepherds that they don’t need to be afraid.
The good news that God provides the way of salvation to all who believe, despite no one deserving it, is cause for great joy. The shepherds are the first to hear and experience this joy in the long-awaited Savior. What an incredible rejoicing there must have been in the fields that night!
Like the shepherds, we may find ourselves in fearful circumstances. But we need not fear, for Jesus brings joy and hope. In the midst of ordinary life, the shepherds are grateful for the arrival of the promised Messiah and experience the joy of knowing their Savior is born that night. Whether life is extraordinarily ordinary or devastatingly extraordinary, we, too, can experience gratitude followed by joy.
During this Christmas season, Luke 2:8-11 reminds us that the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus brings joy to the world and hope to all. He has overcome. And by His grace, with gratitude, we will, too.
Lord, I thank You for the simplicity of entering humanity that Holy Night, where the power of the Divine touches the frailty of humanity and where the glory of the Divine meets the flesh of a newborn baby. Thank You for humbling Yourself as a tiny human to bring hope to all who believe in You as the divine Savior of the world. Like the shepherds long ago under the clear, starry night, may You transform my fear and despair into hope and contentment. May joy rule my heart as gratitude rules my thoughts. In Jesus’ Holy Name, Amen.
*2 Corinthians 10:5 - We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
*Psalm 51:12 - Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
*Philippians 4:4 - Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
*2 Corinthians 12:9 – But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
*Matthew 28:20b – “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
*Lamentations 3:22 – The Lord’s love never ends. His mercies never stop. (ICB)
*Galatians 5:22-23 - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Want to subscribe to future posts? Click here.
Text and photograph copyright © 2020 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved. Photo of a red Peony from Melrose, Scotland.
A NOTE ON RACIAL JUSTICE: Becoming antiracist is a journey. Together, we can make a difference. Will you join me? Check out my web page on “Justice Matters” to find resources and to connect with organizations engaging in the cause of racial justice. Click here to learn more.
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
ICB translation - Scriptures quoted from the International Children’s Bible®, copyright ©1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Tommy Nelson. Used by permission.
This year 2020 has been unlike anything any of us expected. As it draws to a close, I find myself feeling relieved that it’s almost over. I am also desperately wishing that 2021 will be a new year indeed, one of hope and promise, rather than fear and devastation.
As we look in the rearview mirror at 2020, it’s easy to focus on the negatives. Often, our minds have a negative bias that naturally pulls us to negative thoughts. We dwell on what didn’t go well and what we lost in the process. Not to minimize our real losses, but when we fixate on the negatives, joy and contentment flee as fear and despair worm their way into our hearts and minds.
Even in “normal” times, when we focus on what we lack rather than on what we have, we will be discouraged. When our perspective skews to the negative, that negativity poisons not just our thought life, but our attitudes, words, and actions as well.
We have to consciously steer our thoughts toward the positive or as 2 Corinthians 10:5* says, we need to take our thoughts captive, especially the negative ones. While it may seem counter-intuitive, the shortcut to joy in the midst of despair is gratitude.
Instead of dwelling on what we don’t have, shift the focus to what we do have. What we each have is relative, of course. But even seemingly minor things are often what we take for granted, like the breath in our lungs or the newness of another day. Maybe it’s food on the table, a roof over our heads, or connecting with someone we love. Or maybe, as the Bible puts it in Psalm 51:12*, it’s restoring the joy of our salvation by thanking Jesus for His sacrifice to reconcile us to God who is still in control despite any seemingly contradictory circumstances.
Gratitude blossoms into joy. Taking a few minutes each day to reconnect with what we are grateful for allows joy to bloom in our hearts and a new perspective to spring up in our minds. Our souls find peace and contentment in spite of the unfortunate circumstances swirling around our feet.
Maintaining joy in the face of despair is not “Pollyanna-ish”. In fact, it’s actually biblical. In Philippians 4:4*, we are actually commanded to rejoice in the Lord always. That doesn’t mean to rejoice in our circumstances but in spite of them. It’s focusing vertically on the Lord rather than horizontally on our current landscape. We can rejoice in God because, regardless of our circumstances, God’s grace is sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9*), Jesus is with us always (Matthew 28:20b), and His love for us never ends (Lamentations 3:22). When we allow the Holy Spirit to rein freely in our hearts, joy is one of the Spirit’s manifestations (Galatians 5:22-23*).
Our key verses today are from a familiar passage about the birth of Jesus. This angelic birth announcement comes first to shepherds who are uneducated men and low on society’s ladder. They are in the middle of an ordinary night of protecting their sheep from predators. How like God to seek out the lowly and marginalized and elevate them to a place of honor. But when the shepherds see this stunning apparition, they are afraid. They have never before seen the dazzling brilliance of an angel. When they realize this pure, holy light is from God, they are acutely aware of their own sinfulness. The angel reassures the shepherds that they don’t need to be afraid.
The good news that God provides the way of salvation to all who believe, despite no one deserving it, is cause for great joy. The shepherds are the first to hear and experience this joy in the long-awaited Savior. What an incredible rejoicing there must have been in the fields that night!
Like the shepherds, we may find ourselves in fearful circumstances. But we need not fear, for Jesus brings joy and hope. In the midst of ordinary life, the shepherds are grateful for the arrival of the promised Messiah and experience the joy of knowing their Savior is born that night. Whether life is extraordinarily ordinary or devastatingly extraordinary, we, too, can experience gratitude followed by joy.
During this Christmas season, Luke 2:8-11 reminds us that the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus brings joy to the world and hope to all. He has overcome. And by His grace, with gratitude, we will, too.
Lord, I thank You for the simplicity of entering humanity that Holy Night, where the power of the Divine touches the frailty of humanity and where the glory of the Divine meets the flesh of a newborn baby. Thank You for humbling Yourself as a tiny human to bring hope to all who believe in You as the divine Savior of the world. Like the shepherds long ago under the clear, starry night, may You transform my fear and despair into hope and contentment. May joy rule my heart as gratitude rules my thoughts. In Jesus’ Holy Name, Amen.
*2 Corinthians 10:5 - We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
*Psalm 51:12 - Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
*Philippians 4:4 - Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
*2 Corinthians 12:9 – But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
*Matthew 28:20b – “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
*Lamentations 3:22 – The Lord’s love never ends. His mercies never stop. (ICB)
*Galatians 5:22-23 - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Want to subscribe to future posts? Click here.
Text and photograph copyright © 2020 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved. Photo of a red Peony from Melrose, Scotland.
A NOTE ON RACIAL JUSTICE: Becoming antiracist is a journey. Together, we can make a difference. Will you join me? Check out my web page on “Justice Matters” to find resources and to connect with organizations engaging in the cause of racial justice. Click here to learn more.
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
ICB translation - Scriptures quoted from the International Children’s Bible®, copyright ©1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Tommy Nelson. Used by permission.
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