A WORD FOR TODAY, December 11, 2025
Peggy Hoppes
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Blessings. Peg
A WORD FOR TODAY, December 11, 2025
“The heavens declare the glory of God. The expanse shows his handiwork. Day after day they pour out speech, and night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. Their voice has gone out through all the earth, their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun, which is as a bridegroom coming out of his room, like a strong man rejoicing to run his course. His going out is from the end of the heavens, his circuit to its ends; there is nothing hidden from its heat. Yahweh’s law is perfect, restoring the soul. Yahweh’s testimony is sure, making wise the simple. Yahweh’’ precepts are right, rejoicing the heart. Yahweh’s commandment is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of Yahweh is clean, enduring forever. Yahweh’s ordinances are true, and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yes, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the extract of the honeycomb. Moreover by them is your servant warned. In keeping them there is great reward. Who can discern his errors? Forgive me from hidden errors. Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins. Let them not have dominion over me. Then I will be upright. I will be blameless and innocent of great transgression. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, Yahweh, my rock, and my redeemer.” Psalm 19, WEB
The days leading up to Christmas is full of parties and preparation; it is a time of joy and friendship, of happy times, and pleasant experiences. We are waiting for the coming of the Christ child, but while we wait, we gather with friends and family and attend programs starring our little ones who sing with great passion and gusto even if they are a little out of tune. We light our homes with twinkle lights and fill our kitchens with the most delightful smells of Christmas cookies, cakes, and other goodies. We listen to and hum Christmas songs all day long. I can’t help thinking, “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas” as I go through my day.
We host an open house for our friends on the second Saturday of December every year. It takes a lot of work: cleaning, decorating, shopping, baking, and cooking. We always give a homemade ornament to our guests, so we’ve had that work to do, too. It is a crazy time. It seems as soon I finish one task I find a dozen more to do. I clean up clutter and discover dust. I clean up the dust and realize I need to vacuum. By the time I finish those tasks, something else pops up to be done. It takes constant vigilance to complete the work. The party is as late as it can be, yet I feel like I’m so far behind. Every year I promise I won’t do too much, but every year I get excited about sharing my blessings with family and friends, so I go overboard.
What does Christmas look like? For me, at least this weekend, it looks like a house filled with laughter and happy bellies filled with good food and great conversation. To the world there are Christmas trees and Santa Clause and perhaps even a nativity scene here or there. It is “Joy to the World” and “Silent Night”. These are wonderful aspects of Christmas.
I have to confess, though, that my preparation for the party and for Christmas keeps my focus on the fun and it is hard to spend time considering the purpose of Advent. See, according to the Church year, the Christmas Season does not even begin until after Advent, but we can’t possibly wait until Christmas Eve to begin to prepare. It takes time to decorate our homes, bake cookies, and buy presents, so we miss Advent by paying so much attention to Christmas and nearly forget that these weeks are meant to be a time of preparing our hearts for the coming of our Savior. In the earliest days of the celebration of Christ’s birth, Advent was a time of repentance. It is hard to remember our need for the Christ when we are so focused on the glitz and glitter of Christmas.
Many people look for happiness and inspiration in Christmas lights and pretty packages. They try to find joy in the celebrations. Those who do not believe in God see the way we spend these weeks and never really understand what it means to the believer that Jesus was born to save us because they see us partying and laughing.
They are looking for something they can’t define, but never realize they will not find it under an evergreen tree. It is true that the psalmist tells us to look toward the heavens and hear God’s voice in His creation. We can see Him in the flowers and know that the Creator designed each one out of love for you. We can look toward the rivers and know that the waters flow endlessly to bring life to the earth. We can see even see God in the laughter of our family and friends as we gather to have fun, but true joy comes to us through the water of life that flows from our Lord Jesus Christ.
The psalmist then reminds us to see God in His Word. His Law is perfect; His Testimony is true. His Word restores our soul. December makes us think of many things; some of it is unselfish, but much is self-centered as we write our wish lists and search for happiness in parties. It is fun to find a piece of chocolate hidden behind a paper door in an advent calendar or add another ornament to a Christmas tree, but Advent is about more than planning parties, baking cookies, and shopping for gifts. It is a time to look toward Jesus Himself, in scripture and revelation, and know that God is not found in glitz and glitter and self-centeredness, but rather in the hearts of those who humble themselves and seek God’s grace.
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