Elizabeth and Zechariah
by which the rising sun will come to us from
heaven to shine on those living in darkness
and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.”
and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.”
-Luke 1:78-79
There are many times in our lives when we get sad because it feels like we are in a barren place devoid of life. Have you ever felt like you were in a place that was devoid of life or abandoned?
The sad thing is that many of us feel this way from time to time. In fact the feeling is quite normal because life is lived in the ups and downs. But this time of year only seems to exacerbate the feeling of being abandoned in a desert place. Society tells us that we should be happy and joyful because of the holiday season but for far too many of us the season only brings stress, exhaustion, and debt. It seems hard to think that a season that is so filled with events and decorations could be compared to a desolate place but the truth is that it can be just as much as any other time of the year. Let me ask you this way. How many of you have ever felt alone while still surrounded by people? This season like any other season of our lives can feel like a desert place.
The trouble is that too many times we forget the hope that we have in the midst of those barren places in our lives: Jesus Christ. This becomes even more glaring a problem when we remember that the hope we have in Christ is the entire reason for the season.
