One of my favorite Christmas songs is "O Holy Night." As I have been reflecting during this Advent season, some of the lyrics in the first verse have resonated in my head.
"A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees; O hear the Angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born
O night, O Holy night, O night divine!"
(Words are from a French poem by Placide Cappeau, translated into English by John Sullivan Dwight in 1855).
When the Messiah was born in Bethlehem, the whole world experienced hope they'd never had before. The Hebrew nation in particular had watched and waited hundreds of years for the Messiah. Finally, the promise was fulfilled.
As I look ahead to what I THINK 2022 will look like, there are some special events coming for the Pearson family. Our oldest granddaughter Allie is planning to marry Zechariah Freeborn in February. They are deliriously happy and have an amazing future ahead of them. Our oldest grandson Luke will start his senior year of high school. Look out, world. Luke is destined to make a difference. Two other grandsons will get their driver's licenses and be turned loose on Nashville, TN and Rome, GA. !!!! Steve will celebrate the 50th anniversary of his graduation from veterinary school and all the satisfaction he has received from this very fulfilling profession. We have 23 family birthdays on the calendar, along with innumerable concerts, sporting events, shows, plays, meetings, and appointments yet to be scheduled. We don't KNOW all these things will happen, but we HOPE they will. God might have a completely different plan. The deep HOPE and settled assurance of that truth is that His plans will be perfect, His plans will be for our good.
Because God sent His only begotten Son to earth, we have HOPE.
Let me encourage you to open your Bibles to these verses during this Christmas season.
Jeremiah 29:11
Psalm 42:11
Isaiah 40:31
Romans 15:13
Psalm 119:114
Hebrews 10:23
And then take about 4 minutes to hear this song performed by Matthew West and written by West and Andrew Jacob Pruis. It will bless and encourage you. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MS8OMR1SYK8