Hope for the Hurting this Christmas

The people of Israel were waiting for the coming of the promised Messiah. They were living under the threat of the Assyrians, who would later bring the northern kingdom of Israel into captivity, when the prophet Isaiah delivered news of a child who would come to dissipate the darkness and redeem the world from sin. This birth announcement was a glimmer of hope in the midst of the fear and sorrow.

“For to us a Child is born,
to us a Son is given;
and the government shall be upon His shoulder,
and His name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
Isaiah 9:6

We live in the space between the first and second coming of this born-to-us Savior. Jesus, who came to earth as a baby to save His people, will one day return to bring them home. We celebrate the first Christmas because we know Christ will come again to make all things new.

This Christmas may be filled with reminders of your empty arms, but you can still cling to hope in the midst of the sorrow, because that first Christmas leads to an empty tomb. As your eyes wander towards the empty stocking on the mantel, or the chair at the table that ought to be filled, remember the words that were spoken of this Child long ago.

When your heart is burdened with worry and doubt, when there are no answers to the questions that flood your thoughts, He is your Wonderful Counselor. He will guide you in the way you should go. His Word directs your path. You can lay your questions, doubts, and fears at His feet, because He gives wisdom generously to those who ask (James 1:5). His ways are trustworthy and good, and He knows what is best.

When you are stumbling under the weight of your grief, your Mighty God will give you strength. You will not be overcome, because He is with you. When you feel like you cannot go on, He will carry you in His arms—the same arms that hold your precious baby who has gone home before you.

Has the death of your child placed eternity more heavily on your heart as it has mine? What comfort there is in knowing that your Everlasting Father holds your future in His hands. He has gone before you and behind you, so you can be confident that you are never walking this road alone. He is the First and the Last, the Alpha and Omega. It all begins and ends with Him. And even now, your beloved child is enjoying eternity in His perfect presence.

Because He is the Prince of Peace, your soul can find rest in the tumult of sorrow. When the storm threatens to overtake you, look to Him, for He alone can calm the tempest within you. As you fix your eyes on Him, anxiety is kept at bay and fear is conquered. This peace, which is beyond our comprehension, will guard your heart and mind. 

The celebration of Christ’s birth serves as a reminder that we have a Savior who is able to relate to us in our pain. Jesus came into a world permeated with loss in order to give us life. Our hope this Christmas is not that God will spare us from heartache, but in the promise of His return.

If you have placed your hope in Christ, you can grieve knowing that this loss is only temporary. The dark shadow of grief has been pierced, and will one day disappear entirely. 

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
Luke 2:11