It's Elvis Presley who croons "It'll be lonely this Christmas without you to hold". He's wallowing about his broken heart, having been abandoned by his love, but there can be many reasons why Christmas is tougher than we would want – bereavement, job loss, sickness.
If you're having a difficult Christmas, here are a few verses to give you hope for the new year.
The Lord hears the needy and does not despise his captive people. Psalm 69.33
This Psalm is rooted in a time when God's people could often find themselves in physical captivity and sadly, for many Christians today, that is still the case, perhaps because of war or false imprisonment. For other Christians, the captivity they endure may be of a different sort – a spiritual and emotional captivity because of difficult circumstances we cannot get out of. Whether we are chained inside or out, we worship a God who hears us in our time of need and does not turn away. This Psalm reminds us that God is a God of compassion who offers comforts to those crying out to him. His eyes and ears are on us and, just like a mother when she hears her baby crying, He responds.
I know, O Lord, that a man's life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps. Jeremiah 10.23
We may feel in control of our lives – or want to be in control – but ultimate control over our lives lies with God. He is directing our steps, He is fashioning pathways for us, even out of hard places. As hard as it may be, there are times we need to relinquish all control and trust that God knows where He is leading us. Instead of being overwhelmed by circumstances, we can pray to God to give us the strength to walk where He is leading and trust Him with the final destination.
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
Whatever we are going through, there is a good chance we haven't had to face as many trials as the Apostle Paul, who endured sickness, persecution, floggings, imprisonment and even shipwrecks because of his faith in Jesus. But no matter what he went through, it never shook his conviction that God is good and that God was doing good through all that he experienced. Paul's example is a challenge to us. Can we come through our trials with praising on our lips and a powerful testimony about the goodness of God? We may feel like we're hanging by a thread sometimes, but God uses us in our brokenness. As hard as it may be, hand your situation to God and ask for help to trust He is working for your good.
I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. Romans 8.18
Paul wasn't one to whitewash his hardships or coat them with a kind of positive thinking that denied reality. When it was hard, he said it was hard. There's no shame saying you are going through a hard time and seeking the support of loved ones. But what made the difference for Paul was his perspective. Our perspective of our circumstances has the power to encourage or discourage us. In other words, we can make things harder for ourselves if we don't view our situation with the right mindset. Paul's perspective is that the suffering he is experiencing is just a temporary reality, it won't last forever, and it is so small in comparison to the glory that is coming once it has passed. The world measures glory by what we acquire or achieve in life. The Bible speaks of glory as something formed in us through hardship and suffering. Your trials will become your glory so don't give up or be controlled by negative emotions in the difficulty of the moment. It's so often with hindsight we see how much God was with us and the result is a deeper joy and gratitude – a true treasure of the heart that nothing can remove.
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Ephesians 6.9
Times of hardship can often test our resolve to apply the Biblical truths we've read in our devotionals and heard preached countless times. It's natural to get tired in trying circumstances or stray from unwavering faith in God. There are two ways we can respond to what we are going through – by doing good or by doing bad. By doing right or doing wrong. But only one reaps a harvest. Doing good reaps a harvest, nothing that you are going through is going to go to waste. God sees all of it, hears all of it, and uses all of it for your good and His glory, so stay in hope because your future is positive even if current circumstances are challenging.
