Blog Series: Clinging to Christmas Hope (Week 1)

What do you DESIRE this Christmas season?

Over the next four weeks, this blog series will take us on a journey as we experience the birth of Jesus in a fresh way through the eyes of three extraordinary women.

When we wish, long for, or want something, that is a desire.  We all have desires.  Some desires we openly share with people, while others we keep hidden in the secret places of our heart that only God knows about.  The birth of Jesus is an amazing story where God works through so many people using their desires.

Elizabeth was a woman of God, who desired greatly to please The Lord.  She had another desire as well.  One that I am sure brought her much pain.  She was a much older woman who had always desired to be a mother.  Can you relate?  Perhaps, you are a woman who has been trying for years to have a baby, or a single woman who longs to be a mother someday.  You may be an older woman who thinks it is much to late to ever experience motherhood; Elizabeth's story whispers there is still hope.  The Bible does not share a lot of details about how Elizabeth felt about being barren, but from one woman to another can't you imagine what that must have been like?  Year after year after year...watching other women have babies while nothing grew inside of her but the desire.  

All the while, Elizabeth kept serving The Lord.

In a nearby village, there was a much younger woman, named Mary.  Although Mary's desires are not directly noted in the Bible, I would like to think they are somewhat implied.  When we meet Mary in Luke chapter 1, we are told she is a young virgin engaged to be married.  More than likely, Mary probably had the desire to be married and she was probably anticipating her upcoming marriage to Joseph.  That plan took a very different turn when the angel of The Lord showed up!    If nothing else, I'm sure Mary had the desire to abide by the customs of that day by continuing to serve God and be a good wife.  Have you ever desired the simple or mediocre things of life, but God interrupted and called you to more?  Little did she know her faithfulness to God would lead to her becoming the mother of Jesus!  

All the while, Mary surrendered and kept serving The Lord.

You may not be as familiar with Anna, our third extraordinary woman.  Day or night, Anna could be found at the Temple.  She was a widower who desired to seek God and serve Him with her whole life.  Does that sound familiar?  You may have those same desires.  We know very little about Anna's marriage except that it only lasted seven years due to her husband's death.  She could have become angry and bitter, giving up on God.  Anna made a different choice.  

All the while, Anna kept serving The Lord.

Psalm 37:4 (NLT) says take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart's desires.  Each of these women lived out this verse in scripture.  They were each faced with challenges but continued to serve and obey The Lord.  Ultimately, they each desired God more than their earthly desires.  This allowed each woman to partake in the birth of Jesus whether directly or indirectly.  We will get to that in the weeks to come.  Will you make Jesus what you desire most this Christmas season?  Let Him heal your soul!

Next week, we will discover how hope stabilizes our desires.

Click here for Week 2 in this blog series.
Click here for Week 3 in this blog series.

To check out more from Shayla, visit www.ShaylaHilton.com.

Your Sister in Christ,

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, We come to say thank you!  You are indeed worthy to be praised!  We lay our desires at Your feet today knowing that when we desire You the most, our earthly desires will be taken care of as well.  I speak hope and healing over every reader this Christmas season.  In Jesus' Name, Amen.