The New Year Has Arrived

My wife Carolyn and I love driving around looking at Christmas lights. It amazes us how much time and energy some folks put into decorating their homes. Energy companies must love Christmas. Electric bills must be through the roof!

Christmas lights are amazing. Some are white and some are multi-colored. Some houses have spotlights while other homeowners have decorated multiple trees around their homes. Some houses are so decorated that dozens of cars drive by just to see the sight. Awe is central to the Christmas story. When the angel appeared to Mary explaining she would miraculously conceive (Luke 1:26-38) and a multitude of angels announced Jesus’ birth to the shepherds (Luke 2:8-20), each reacted with fear, wonder – and awe.

The Christmas season has ended for another year, and as we celebrate this New Year, I wonder if you were caught up in awe this year. Hebrews 1:3 says, “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being.” Christmas lights remind us that Jesus has come. They are bright and luminous, and they highlight that Jesus is the Reason for the Season.

As you take down your Christmas lights this year, may you always remember that Jesus has come to save the world. Jesus is the “light of the world” and should be our focus in this new year. As we ride around and look at the lights, may we be reminded of the moment when we will see Him face to face! Happy New Year!

Prayer – Father, we worship you and thank you for your awesome Son. Amen.

Hebrews 1:6 – “Let all God’s angels worship him.”

By the Rev. Tommy Herndon  

Images: Bryan Dickerson, Gautam Krishnan & Greg Rosenke, courtesy of Unsplash