by Desiree Bustamante

Our earthy expectations are unmatched by our Savior’s birth and promised return.

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud Link.

“All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay.”
1 Peter 1:3-4 New Living Translation

Did this Christmas meet your expectations? Did you expect to receive a certain gift, or that your family would be celebrating together, or that everything would be peaceful? Maybe you hoped for more quiet time to spend reflecting on the Savior’s birth.

Did your hopes and dreams for Christmas come true? Hopefully, any disappointments were minimal, but our expectations don’t always align with the Hallmark moments we long for. They certainly didn’t for Mary, giving birth in a foreign place where animals fed. But the most important expectation of all, the promise of a Savior, was fulfilled years ago in Bethlehem. Jesus was born into this world so we could have a priceless inheritance kept in heaven just for us. Many plans and events will change each Christmas season, but the gift of Jesus will remain forever.

We celebrated our long-expected Jesus, yet we must wait expectantly for His return. Then we will see our loving Savior face-to-face, and we will never be apart from Him again. Hold onto this promise and the gift of salvation found in this tiny baby. Spending eternity with Christ in heaven is an expectation you can count on every Christmas and each of your days on earth.

Copyright, Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado