By Pastor Steve Nickodemus

The Ride to Bethlehem

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking this SoundCloud link

“Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.”
Isaiah 60:3 New International Version

Today marks the beginning of Advent, the time of the year when we allow God to prepare our hearts for the coming of God’s Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  You might say that it is time to “get on board” with God’s amazing, merciful plan to send His Son into the world, not to condemn us, but to save us from our sin.

Perhaps lately you have been on a very different train of thought, a journey of worry and hurt and fear and shame.  This is the road of darkness and its end is destruction.  This is the journey of separation from God and it is the train you need to leave to embark on a new train, a new way of thinking, a new way of life.

God’s plan is not the train of darkness but the train of light.  The Lord Jesus invites you to get on His train, a train that leads to a manger and to a cross and to a resurrection and to glory.  Many have come to this train of light and found in Jesus eternal life and forgiveness and peace.

In Jesus Christ, in the Babe born in Bethlehem, we find the Light of the world and the Joy of all mankind.  In Jesus Christ, we find the family of God and an eternal home and the end to all our sin and darkness.

And so, I invite you to this journey, this ride to Bethlehem, to the Savior of the world born for you.  Let the Holy Spirit speak to you over this next month leading to Christmas.  Let His Word, His life and light giving Word, speak into your heart and grant you peace and joy and forgiveness and hope.  What do you say?  Let’s go for a ride, a ride to Bethlehem!

All aboard!

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church Colorado Springs, Colorado