"Omfort, Give Comfort To My People"

“COMFORT, GIVE COMFORT TO MY PEOPLE, SAYS YOUR GOD,

SPEAK TENDERLY” (Isaiah 40:1-2)

When we look around at our condition in the world and especially in the USA, it’s hard to believe that Jesus is speaking tenderly to us. It’s much easier to believe that the wrath of God is just around the corner, and maybe it is! We see rampant hostility and hated toward God. We see sin to such a depth and so widespread, that we no longer even call it sin. The

most bizarre, unnatural behavior we call normal. “If your light is darkness, how deep will your darkness be!” (Matthew 6:23) absolutely applies to us today. But in the midst of all this, Jesus IS speaking to us tenderly. He IS calling to each one of us personally.

Christmas time is a time of giving presents. I believe Jesus is coming this Christmas season to receive something from us, but it probably is not what we think! He is coming to receive from us all the deep hurts and sorrows that are buried and hidden in our hearts; All our failures, worries, and anxieties; All those painful memories of the hurtful, harmful things

that we have done or have been done to us; Our weaknesses, our addictions our secret sins. Especially those sins that nobody knows about, sins that we have buried so deep because we know that God can’t forgive them.

But most of all we can’t forgive ourselves. Maybe we have molested our own children, or maybe we are addicted to pornography, masturbation, sex, money, power drugs etc. or maybe we are involved in an adulterous or homosexual affair, or maybe we believe that nobody cares about me and I’m ready to end it all.

Jesus is not shocked or intimidated by our sins. He does not cringe or fall back at the sight of our condition. He is very familiar with it. He has seen the same sins millions of times before. On the contrary, He runs to us! Before we can even get to say I’m sorry, please forgive me. Jesus wraps His arms around us in total love and acceptance. He looks at us

with eyes that are so warm and full of forgiveness.

Jesus is coming this Christmas season to receive from each of us every darkness, sin and fear that is within us. Jesus is a cosmic garbage collector. Put all that stuff out on the curb. Jesus is coming by to collect it. The greatest gift we can give Jesus, the one that will bring the most pleasure to Him, is our sins. Write down on a piece of paper everything that is

bothering you, find a Nativity scene and give it to Jesus. Don’t take it back! Put your trust in Him! Experience His great love and forgiveness for you!

Go to Confession! Put out the garbage and let the King of Glory in!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

***** Jesus is Lord! *****