By Josie Siler

​I adore this time of year! Each day more Christmas lights shine their joyful twinkles of hope into a dark world. Driving by house after house that is adorned with light brings a smile to my face and fills my heart with warmth. My neighborhood is normally quite dark, but not at Christmas! At Christmas, lights shine from every street corner and push back the darkness to the edges of our community.
 
I think my favorite neighborhood decoration is the house right next to mine. They put a giant star on their roof that you can see for quite a way. It's fantastic... and I feel like it makes up a little bit for my dark house. Oh, the inside is full of beautiful twinkling lights, but the outside has yet to be illuminated. I'm not sure if it will happen this year, but the inside, that's what counts!
 
When I was a kid we'd always take a drive to look at the Christmas lights. I don't know that we ever knew where we were going, we'd just drive and see what we could see. Have you ever spotted a big house on the top of a hill all decked out with Christmas lights? It's a sight to behold, let me tell you! You can see that sucker lit up for miles and the closer you get, the more spectacular you know it's going to be.
 
Did you know that Jesus calls us the light of the world? He does! Matthew 5:14 (NLT) says, "You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden." There's no hiding a city that sits on a hilltop, just like there's no hiding a big house on the top of a hill that's full of Christmas lights. You're going to see it and you're going to see it from quite a distance. And that's what Jesus compares us to.

​It's pretty incredible if you stop to think about it. Jesus says that you and I are the light of the world. I don't know about you, but I've noticed the darkness that fills our world today. Some days it feels as if we'll never see the light again, yet if we believe what Jesus says, not only is there still light in the world, WE'RE THE LIGHT!
 
This is a fact. For those of us who have chosen to be in relationship with Jesus Christ, He is living inside us. Not just that, but we're fully united with Him, one with Him. So this light of the world thing, it really has nothing to do with us and everything to do with Christ in us, the hope of glory.
 
The light people see in us is not us. It's nothing that we've made or manufactured. We don't get brighter by doing more good things or sinning less. The light that shines out of us is the light of Jesus. It is produced by Him, yet miraculously He allows His light to shine through us, reaching into the darkest corners of our world.
 
John 1:5 says, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” Darkness has not overcome the light, and it never will. As dark as our world gets, the light of Christ will always be brighter. Always.
 
You see, Jesus has already overcome the world! He leaves no doubt when He tells His followers just that in John 16:33. “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in Me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”
 
This Christmas season let's take courage and allow the light of Christ to shine through us wherever we go. Let's be that city on a hill that cannot be hidden. Let's bring His light and peace into our workplaces, our churches, clinics, and hospital rooms. Remember, just like Christmas lights, the darker it is, the brighter we'll shine! Shine bright, my friends!

By Erin Elizabeth Austin

Let’s be honest for a minute. As more and more atrocities of violence occur in our country every day, many people have thought the question, "Where is God?” Struck with the raw emotion of having a gunman walk into a church or a concert or drive a vehicle into a crowd of people and kill innocent men, women, and children, at some point the question of God’s presence crept into people’s thoughts. Many of us are still in shock and horror that such tragedies could ever occur, and as we come to grips with the scope of what is happening in our country, that nagging question will continue to creep into our thoughts until we deal with it and learn the truth.

Although the fact it’s almost the Christmas season makes dealing with tragedies seem even worse, it seems appropriate that it is the season of Emmanuel – God with us. When Jesus was born, He came to offer hope to a world without hope and peace. The key word being “offered.” God has never forced Himself on us. That is the big difference between people and animals. When God created us, He chose to give us the gift of freewill. An animal doesn’t have this gift. When a skunk feels threatened, he will emit an odorous spray. A spider will make webs and catch insects. Fish will swim. They don’t get to choose to do something different if they get bored of being what God created them to be. Yet it’s not that way with people. People can use this life to do whatever they want – whether it’s right or wrong, good or bad. We can choose to worship God or deny His existence. We can choose to be a teacher, a rock star, or even a murderer. We can choose to use our lives to do some good in the world, and unfortunately, we can also choose to do evil in this life and harm others. That is why Jesus came to this fallen world when He knew people would hang Him on a cross to die. He came to forgive our sins and show us a better way. He came to point us to God.

God doesn’t abandon His people. Even though our country has turned its back on God, He will never turn His back on those who call out to Him. Even if it becomes illegal to speak the name of Jesus, as long we choose to keep our hearts and minds focused on God, He will always be with us. So the next time it feels like your heart will break into a million little pieces and you are tempted to ask, “Where is God?” remember Emmanuel. You are not alone. God sees you. He knows what’s happening. He cares. And He is with you!

“But Zion said, “I don’t get it. God has left me. My Master has forgotten I even exist.”

“Can a mother forget the infant at her breast, walk away from the baby she bore? But even if mothers forget, I’d never forget you—never. Look, I’ve written your names on the backs of My hands. The walls you’re rebuilding are never out of my sight.” ~ Isaiah 49:14-16 (The Message)

By Erin Elizabeth Austin

She was stuck. It’s been over ten years since it happened and I still can see her frozen in fear. It was the first time I’ve ever seen someone petrified, and that image has stayed with me even a decade later.

​Twelve years ago, God blessed me with an incredible, glorious summer when all my health problems decided to stop. I don’t know how to describe that summer other than to say it was a gift from God and one in which I eagerly took advantage. I worked at a Christian girls’ camp as a cabin leader, but even more surprising, I was one of the four staffers who were trained and certified to run the camp’s 32-foot rock wall. For those who aren’t familiar with rock climbing, there needs to be a person who belays. What this means is a person is anchored into the ground wearing a harness and he is connected with a safety rope to the person climbing the wall. A belayer’s sole purpose is to keep the safety rope taut as the person climbs, so if he falls, he goes nowhere. The belayer is literally holding all of your weight up and keeping you from harm. It was a job I should have not physically been able to do, but I’m so grateful I did because it was one of the most amazing experiences of my life.

​There are many fun stories that came from this experience, but the one I’ll never forget is the day a thirteen-year-old girl made it two-thirds of the way up the wall, and then she looked down. After that, she could not and would not move. For thirty minutes I held her weight while she continually yelled, “I can’t do this! It’s too hard!” Everyone was cheering her on. Our team leader even climbed up next to her to help her reach the top, but she refused to do it. It didn’t matter that I wouldn’t let her fall. Her fear was greater than her faith. And with only six needed steps to reach the top, she decided she’d rather quit and had me lower her back to the ground.

As we finish our Believing God series, I keep thinking of this girl. When I started studying all the areas we struggle to believe and trust God, I knew I had areas I didn’t fully believe God to take care of for me. Yet the more I studied and began to completely trust God, I realized that like the girl, I too was stuck. Unfortunately, I wasn’t stuck on something as simple as a rock wall. I was stuck in life. I had come so far in my walk with God, but the things He was calling me to do were scary. Yes, I knew He had me anchored and I wouldn’t fall, but my lack of faith kept me frozen from stepping out of my comfort zone. Maybe it’s the same with you.

​I’ve loved listening to your stories and reading your comments on each devotion. We have all struggled at some point with fully believing God will fulfill His promises. But the more we believe Him and take Him at His Word, the more we see ourselves the way He sees us, and then is when the fun begins. God has great things in store for you and me, but we have to be willing to leave our comfort zones and trust Him with every single concern. As we end this series, I encourage you to go back and study the names of God and ask Him to show you if there’s an area of belief in which you need to work.​

It’s time to step out in faith and trust the Great Belayer. He won’t let you fall. Do you believe?     

​“If you don’t know what you’re doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You’ll get His help, and won’t be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who “worry their prayers” are like wind-whipped waves. Don’t think you’re going to get anything from the Master that way, adrift at sea, keeping all your options open.” ~ James 1:5-8 (MSG)