His Shining Victory

For Zion’s sake I will not be silent, for Jerusalem’s sake I will not be quiet, until her vindication shines forth like the dawn and her victory like a burning torch. // Isaiah 62:1

Silent night, holy night . . . .

We sang the Christmas carols in hushed tones, as though to belt them out would break the peaceful joy of Christ’s birth. This unusually warm Minnesota Christmas Day meant we weren’t huddled around the fire for after-dinner music, but actually milling about with our mugs of cider and hot cocoa on the back patio. My extended family singing, curling fingers over mismatched Santa mugs, and gazing up at the stars looked like the perfect holiday.

Except it wasn’t. Is any family’s? My nausea with our first pregnancy meant I was off-key more than on, I still hadn’t figured out how to tell my husband that I had blown the gift budget for our first Christmas together, and my sisters were annoyed at me for some unknowable reason.

Perhaps this Christmas as we celebrate the birth of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, we, too, should just let our voices cry out, sing out, like the prophet Isaiah who won’t be silent. Our imperfect voices, our messy families, our joyful hope at His coming. I encourage you, dear sister, to set aside your expectations for your own perfection and turn your heart to worship Jesus’ perfection instead. It is not our victory of achieving a picture-perfect life that needs to try and shine, but rather, His victory over sin and death.

Let Him shine forth like the dawn over your life. Merry Christmas!

Let Him shine forth like the dawn over your life. // Nell O'Leary Click to tweet

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