Rhema Christmas Devotionals 2022 - Dec 18 God Is With Us Corrie Ten Boom said, ‘Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow; it empties today of its strength.’ How true! If you’ve ever been through a season of anxiety or worry, you’ll know that it can suck away your ability to live. You feel drained, depleted, empty. It’s no mistake that Jesus speaks directly about worry: ‘So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today’ (Matthew 6:34). Jesus walked the planet at a time of great worry and fear for his people. They were occupied by Rome, and their way of life was heavily restricted and controlled. They were longing for liberation and freedom from oppression. And that’s exactly what Jesus gave them, but not in the way they expected. He didn’t come as a warlord or military leader, but as a teacher and servant. The liberation he brings is from the oppression of our wrongdoings. He offers freedom from our mistakes and a life of ultimate fullness as we commit our lives to his plan for our lives. As we celebrate this over the Christmas season, it gives us fresh opportunity to address those things that separate us from him, and worry is a key one for many of us. Just like Corrie Ten Boom says, our worries empty today if it’s strength. If God cared enough to send his son to earth, to live amongst us, teach us, care for us, die on a cross, and ultimately be raised back to life, then he certainly cares enough to help us walk through times of trouble. Psalm 23 says, ‘even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for you are with me’. The valley moments in our lives are all too familiar and all too frequent, but let’s remember that the God of the universe walks beside us… always. Christmas is supposed to be a time of great joy, but if that’s not where you are right now, know that God is with you. He will never leave you, never forsake you, and he sent his son to earth for you. That’s the Christmas story.