For a few years, American atheists promoted a "Christmas" message: "Keep the merry, dump the myth." This jarring promotion showed a picture of a laughing Santa, next to the suffering face of Jesus wearing a crown of thorns. It is quite poignant that they didn't attack the Christ Child, since that is what the merriment celebrates! No, they went right to the heart of the matter: Christ on the cross. You see for many people — apparently atheists included — it's easy and okay to celebrate the joy of Christmas with the Jolly ol' Man, the Elf on the Shelf, or Rudolf the Red-nosed Reindeer; there's no commitment to God or call for repentance; nothing is required! (But we do spend a lot of money trying to have a merry Christmas!) The atheists' promotion was revealing — they understood the implication of believing in the Baby in the manger — it's beautifully stated in the hymn, Hark! the herald angels sing: "Born to raise the sons of earth; born to give them second birth."

Atheists understand that the Baby grew up and died a terrible, bloody death on the cross. There isn't anything "merry" about that picture! You see, to truly celebrate the Saviour's birth, we must be willing to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Him. Atheists, of course, are not willing to do this. But are we, who celebrate the Babe in the manger, willing to submit to the crucified and risen One when the trials and suffering of life come our way? Do we trust that God is in control and that nothing happens in our lives apart from the will of the Father? It is during these difficult times that we may be tempted to give up and ask, "Where are You, God?" or even "Is there a God?"

In October of 2013, my husband survived a traumatic brain injury. I can't imagine my family and me walking this path without the hope that God has a greater plan in mind. Admittedly, many days, I wanted to give up. Yet, where would I go? To whom would I turn? There is eternal hope in no one else!

Some of the fruit of our suffering has become evident: our family is closer, and we are grateful for the extra time to love one another. I also thank God for the body of Christ. For years now, we have been on the receiving end of love being poured out to us in a myriad of ways, all to show us Jesus-with-skin-on love! Over and over again, God has faithfully provided for us, teaching us that He is near and can be trusted.

Yes, the Christ Child is the reason for the season! His birth was for His death. His death was for our birth. In Him, we can find true Christmas joy!

Prayer: Dear Jesus, thank You for coming to earth to give us second birth. Help us to have merry hearts today, tomorrow, and in the coming New Year. Amen."

It was a bright, sunny day at the beach, a perfect day to relax and read. Yet the glare of the sun was so intense that my sunglasses weren't enough to block its powerful rays. As I shielded my eyes, today's verse came to mind: "The Lord God is a sun and a shield" — a beautiful promise for God's children.

I wondered, though, how God could be both a sun and a shield. It seemed incompatible. As I thought about it, I realized that the psalmist gives us a clue as to the meaning in the second part of the verse: "The Lord will give grace and glory."

The sun brings light and life to the world. Likewise, God brings light and life to those who trust in Him.

God is holy — He is pure, faultless, and without sin. In Scripture, His glory-presence is often depicted in light and fire, and is associated with His judgment, as well as a sign of His holiness and His covenant of mercy with His people. As a prime example, when Moses received the law, it was atop a fiery mountain. And when he asked to see God's glory, the Lord said, "You cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live." (Exodus 33:20 NIV) Yet, what did God do for Moses? He shielded him with His hand when He passed by. In the New Testament, before Jesus began His earthly ministry, John the Baptist called people to turn from their sins. He said that Jesus would baptize His followers "with the Holy Spirit and with fire" (Matthew 3:11b NIV). Jesus Himself said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." (John 8:12b NIV)

As the sun exposes darkness, God's glory-presence exposes sin. The Lord "will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts." (1 Corinthians 4:5 NIV)

When we are in Christ, God shines His light into the dark, stained-with-sin recesses of our hearts and minds, exposing and cleansing our sin, and yet, we're not destroyed. Why? Because Jesus' death on the cross shields us from God's wrath. "Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him!" (Romans 5:9 NIV)

Today's verse holds a promise, too: "No good thing will he withhold from those who walk uprightly." Friends, we can only be upright, or blameless, when our sins have been forgiven and our debt paid! Pray with me:

Prayer: Dear God, shine Your light into my life to expose the darkness of my sins. Forgive me, and help me to follow You. Thank You for being the shield of my life! Amen.

When I was pregnant with our first child, Jared, I read an article explaining that after babies are born, they recognize voices that they'd heard while in the womb. So for the next nine months, my husband Bob and I would talk to him, pray for him, and sing to him.

Then came the big day. Several hours after he was born — I'll never forget this moment — we decided to try out this idea of voice recognition. I swaddled our precious son close to me, and as Bob stood across the room, he gently called out, "Jared, Jared." All of a sudden, Jared's little head began to jiggle and turn, until his head was completely turned sideways, looking at his daddy! It was an amazing moment! He recognized his father's voice and turned towards him!

I treasure this beautiful memory. It reminds me of how God's children learn to recognize our Father's voice.

We can only begin to hear God's voice if we become His children through His gift of new birth. "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." (1 Peter 1:3 NIV)

Then, God speaks to us through His Word. Just as it took time for our firstborn to recognize our voices as he was being formed, we learn to recognize God's voice by taking the time to read His Word. "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness." (2 Timothy 3:16 NIV) His voice will never contradict Scripture — it is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our paths.

The Holy Spirit will then bring to mind the truths of Scripture to guide our steps and to walk in His ways. "He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you." (John 14:26b NASB) The Holy Spirit prays in our behalf so that we can be obedient to God's calling over our lives. "The Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words." (Romans 8:26 NASB) He also gives us the spiritual gift of discernment, to distinguish God's voice from all the others.

Like us, our Father God sings over His children. "He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." (Zephaniah 3:17b NIV)

Prayer: Dear Father God, help us to hear Your voice, turn to You, and do those things which You have given us to do. Thank You for speaking to us through Your Word, so that we can recognize Your voice, and for sending the Holy Spirit to guide, comfort, and pray for us. Thank You also for the promise that You delight, rejoice, and sing over us as we learn to follow You! Amen.

Being still is not easy; in fact, it is more difficult now than ever before. We have become technology gluttons, bombarded with a cacophony of smart phones, computers, tablets, iPads, radio, and television. From sun-up to sun-down, the sights and sounds never stop. As we move through our day, we must take some time to unplug — literally — from the world!

Some people stay plugged-in to run from reality. As long as their minds are filled with these noisy distractions, they don't have to think about or evaluate their decisions in life, their relationships with others, or their relationship (or lack thereof) with the Creator.

For others, staying plugged-in is a habit; they can't think, work, or play without background sounds. Many need such noise to lull them to sleep.

On a recent bicycle ride, I came up behind a speed walker wearing earplugs. The pathway was narrow. To let her know that I was coming, I called out, "Good morning!" No reply. I called out again, a bit louder, "Good morning! Can you hear me?" No reply. "Hello, behind you!" I called out again as my bike inched closer. Again, nothing. Slowing down to manoeuvre safely around her, I tried again, "Hello! Good morning." She never looked up or acknowledged that I was there.

I imagine that God calls out to us above the clamour saying, "Hello! Can you hear me now?" When there's a steady stream of noise in our lives and we're always plugged-in, we are allowing the world to mould our minds and determine our thoughts, which makes cultivating a deeper relationship with God more difficult. The Holy Spirit can certainly penetrate the constant din — and one way or another, if He wants to get our attention, He will get through. However, by allowing stillness in our lives — to think about God and permit our souls to marinate in His Word as we work and play — God will speak to us in new ways, and we will hear Him — maybe for the first time!

Philippians 4:8-9 – Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things. (NIV)

Prayer: Dear God, help us to unplug from the noise and distractions in our lives — to be still — so that we can hear You, obey You, and use our talents to serve You more effectively. Amen.

Matthew 2:1-2 – After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him." (NIV)

The Magi brought Him three gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. They were willing to risk their lives to honour Jesus.

Before Jesus came to earth, people's sins were forgiven through animal sacrifices. But now, because of Jesus' death on the cross, we don't have to kill animals to be forgiven or to honour and please God. But we are urged "to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship" (Romans 12:1 NRSV).

Being a living sacrifice involves giving our lives — our hearts, our minds, and willpower — to God. To be a living sacrifice means obedient service to God — our reasonable service. It is reasonable, sensible, and intelligent because of what Jesus has done for us.

As we celebrate the new year, let us ask ourselves, "What gifts will I bring to King Jesus this year?"

Will you give Jesus your heart? (If you've never done so, you can do it right now by admitting that you have sinned and need Jesus to save you and forgive you.)

Will you give Jesus your mind? (You can do so by reading His Word every day and thinking about those things that please God.)

Will you give Jesus your willpower? (You can do so by asking Him to transform your will to be like His.)

Will you give Jesus your treasures? (You can do so by giving your gifts of money and talent to furthering His kingdom.)

A follower of Jesus Christ should be able to answer this question: How will I serve others in the name of Jesus Christ this coming year?

Prayer: Dear Jesus, thank You for coming to earth as a baby and becoming a man. Thank You for going to the cross to be the sacrifice to make us right with God. Help us in this new year to be living sacrifices for You in all the things that we say and do. May the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.