Rejoicing in the Savior
The day after Christmas is an interesting dilemma. You wake up surrounded by all the Christmas decorations, you go to the kitchen for some leftover Christmas food, but then what? Christmas is over, but there’s a week between Christmas and New Years, so what do you do? It seems too soon to give up the Christmas music and food and the general idea of festivity, but the actual day of Christmas is over…
This year, as I looked out the kitchen window at the bare sticks and soggy ground of my summer garden, my mind wandered over the idea of the day after Christmas. I thought about how we as Christians often struggle to keep the true meaning of Christmas in focus throughout the season, and wondered what a Christian response should be to the day after Christmas dilemma.
A few rays of sun pushed their way through the grey blanket of clouds and peeked their way between the trees. I started washing dishes, still thinking. All of a sudden, the answer hit me: it doesn’t really matter what we do with the day after Christmas, as long as we live it in the reality of our Savior.
You see, for the world, Christmas is just a jumble of lights and presents, social occasions and emotions. But for those of us who have accepted the Savior’s gift of forgiveness of sin and reconciliation with God, Christmas is a reminder of a daily reality.
The Savior has come, has lived a sinless life, has died for our sins and has risen again!
In a sense, the day after Christmas is just the same as every other day in the year. Each and every day is an opportunity to rejoice in our Savior and the salvation He has given.
This is a truth I have been especially challenged by this week, because the past month has been so busy, and has stretched me to the farthest limits of my strength and energy. But God is so faithful and good, and helped me each time I asked Him to. But I still so easily forget to rejoice in Him.
That same day-after-Christmas morning, I sat down to read my Bible as I do every morning. I opened to where I had left off the day before and this is what I saw:
“Give thanks unto the Lord, call upon His name, make known His deeds among the people. Sing unto Him, sing psalms unto Him, talk ye of all His wondrous works. Glory ye in His holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord. Seek the Lord and His strength, seek His face continually. Remember His marvellous works that He hath done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth” (1 Chronicles 16:8-12)
As we finish out one year and move into the next, may we choose to live each day in the reality of the Savior.
“My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.” Luke 1:46-47