December 3

Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him.
Psalm 62:5 (NIV)

Have you ever sat down in a quiet place in your home on December 26th, looked around and thought, “Christmas happened?” There aren’t any other times during the year that can fill our calendars the way the Christmas season can. We have office parties, family dinners, school programs, gift exchanges, and on and on. We’re so preoccupied with the tasks, we miss the holiday altogether. As Jesus-followers, we should see Christmas as a celebration of our Savior’s birth. Instead, that sentiment can become lost in all of the doing and the striving.

As we end the first week of Advent, take time to rest. Find a quiet spot and spend a few minutes thanking the Lord for his grace and his Gift. Read Luke 2:1-40, and be filled with wonder at the power of Jesus’ birth. Listen to worship music. Do something that will replace your busyness with praise.

Whether this is your favorite season, or if this time of year is hard for you – rest. Hope is recognized in the resting.

For Today: Take a moment right now to identify one thing you’re going to do to rest. It might be something that you normally do during the Christmas season that you’ll make the choice to skip, so that you can use that same amount of time to rest. How will you be intentional about resting in the midst of this season?