{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Episode 125: A Christmas Devotional: The Gift of Rest at Christmas","description":"Sinking into the church pew, I close my eyes, allowing myself to relax. Christmas hymns filter around parishioners as more enter the warm room. Fatigue washes over me as I wait for the Christmas service to start. The previous month was full of Christmas-time activities, lights, parties, and pageants. The seasonal hustle and bustle left me with little time to rest, my heart anxious over plans and the Christmas holiday. As the lights dim, the focus switches to the manger scene. Jesus Christ, born in a manger, died on the cross for our sins. Emmanuel\u2014God with us. Hope was born in human form. \u201cFor unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace\u201d (Isaiah 9:6). Over the centuries, Christians have turned toward Jesus with hope and assurance of heaven. \u201cThe name Immanuel encapsulates the heart of the Christian message: that God, in His infinite love and mercy, chose to dwell among His people through Jesus Christ. This profound truth continues to inspire and sustain believers, affirming the reality of God\u2019s presence in their lives\u201d (BibleHub.com).  The hope of Emmanuel takes us beyond Christmas. For believers, that hope leads to eternity and resting forever with God in Heaven. A forever reprieve from the weariness felt here on earth. However, as you celebrate the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ this Advent, you can also celebrate his saving grace and rest in him. You can look forward to eternal rest while enjoying rest here on earth, right here and now. God\u2019s word tells us to rest. God provided a pattern to follow as he rested on the seventh day after six days of work. Genesis 2:2-3 says, \u201cAnd on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.\u201d In the same way, he reminds us to do the same. Advent time is a great time to start resting and taking time to enjoy what God\u2019s given. He tells us that he provides rest for our weary hearts. Exodus 33:14 says, And the LORD answered (Moses), \u2018My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.\u201d Matthew 11:28-30 continues this same theme of spiritual rest. It says, \u201cCome to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.\u201d Bible Hub study \u201cRest here is not merely physical but spiritual, offering peace and relief from the guilt and power of sin. This promise connects to the Sabbath rest in Genesis 2:2-3, symbolizing completion and satisfaction in God. Jesus fulfills the prophetic rest promised in the Old Testament, such as in Jeremiah 6:16, where the ancient paths lead to rest for the soul. This rest is a type of the eternal rest believers will experience in Christ (Hebrews 4:9-10).\u201d The choir files into the church as the congregation rises. My anxiety lessens as I listen to the voices around me rising with the choir, still seated. \u201cO Come, O Come, Emmanuel. Rejoice.\u201d I rise to join those around me, my voice lifting up the truth of the season. Come, Lord, come and give me rest. Help me rejoice in your birth this Christmas.  Prayer Dear Lord, thank you for your gift of rest. Please help me accept that gift and enjoy this Christmas season. Remind me of your open invitation when I\u2019m feeling weary. Amen. Other Ways to Prepare this Christmas Season As we let these truths about Christmas penetrate our hearts, we can sit and dwell on the truth. We can sit and dwell on the fact that God is with us and that he wants to give us rest. One practical way that you can. Just sit and dwell on what God has for you this Christmas and release some of the anxiety, the overwhelm, and the panic over this Christmas season is to go through the workshop, Pen Your Way to Peace. Pen Your Way to Peace is a workshop that my friend Carrie and I did two years ago, where it\u2019s 75 minutes of working through and praying through things that steal your joy, things that cause negative emotions, and maybe even bring up drama. We want to help you work through these things. We are offering this workshop in a way that you can sit, you can work through the journal questions that Carrie, as a spiritual director, has provided for the workshop. And then one of the other things that we know causes chaos, causes overwhelm, and frankly doesn\u2019t make our hearts feel at rest is not planning. So with me, you will sit and work through plans, work through what you have, your boundaries, what are things you\u2019re saying yes to this holiday season, and what you\u2019re saying no to this holiday season. You join Pen Your Way to Peace so you can prepare your mind, your heart, and your calendar for the season of Christ\u2019s birth.  Click here to work at your own pace. Songs to Prepare Your Heart Make Room in Your Heart by Casting Crowns  Emmanuel, God with Us\/O Come O Come Emmanuel Podcasts and Blog to Prepare Your Heart When Easter isn\u2019t Happy  Organize for the Holidays  ","author_name":"Created for This with Danielle Roberts","author_url":"http:\/\/danielleroberts.libsyn.com\/website","html":"