Christmas is supposed to be a time of outrageous and contagious joy. Indeed, as Christians filled with the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christmas, every day of the year, we should be the most joyful and loving people on the planet. Yet, many struggle in this area; their “joy meter” is on life support and in need of resuscitation!

Mary’s story was a trial of faith. Yet she made it through and so can we. Because like Mary, we are all, in our own God-ordained way, called to bring something extraordinary into the world. 

Remember, God can handle our whys. In other words, God can handle our questions, and even our anger. It won’t threaten Him, diminish Him or embarrass Him. In fact, it won’t even surprise Him, for the Bible declares He already knows the secrets of our hearts! (Psalms 44:21)

It’s not a sin to believe in yourself; it’s an expectation of the Creator God who formed you in His own image and likeness, filled you with His Holy Spirit, and has perfectly equipped you to perform every good work created for you to walk in.

God’s plans are greater than the dreams you once had for yourself; and they’re greater than even the greatest moment you’ve experienced thus far!

Believe it or not, the devil is not your greatest problem in life. Although he can tempt and launch deceptions at you, the fact is, he cannot make you do anything. Yet we so often blame the devil for our missteps and misfortunes, when all other excuses have escaped us and we have no one else point the proverbial finger at. Like Eve responded in the garden when God asked, how could you have done such a thing?...

We respond… the devil made me do it!

What stands in the way of where we are now, and all of what God has for us in life – the dreams He has placed in our hearts, and the goals we seek to achieve – if not the enemy? The truth is, our real problem is much more powerful than the devil – it’s the person in the mirror! (Romans 7:15-25).

We are our own worst enemy.

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“Then David took his shepherd’s staff, selected five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in the pocket of his shepherd’s pack, and with his sling in his hand approached Goliath.” - 1 Samuel 17:40

What Is the Story of David and Goliath About?

The story of David and Goliath is one of the most beloved in the Bible. It reminds us that with God, all things are possible. David’s victory was not mainly about courage, strategy, or self-confidence; it was about trusting the living God when everyone else saw only the size of the giant. This story is so famous that the expression “David vs. Goliath” has become part of our mainstream conversation. 

There’s something that resonates within us when we see an individual or sports team that, by all accounts, simply can’t win, go on to defeat a giant of an opponent. And it’s why we as a society love rags-to-riches stories, like Phyllis Diller, Steve Jobs, and J.K. Rowling.

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Have you ever had a close friend abandon you in your hour of need? Or share a confidence that exposed, embarrassed, or hurt you? Has someone you loved and trusted intentionally hurt you?

Betrayal is one of the more painful experiences we go through as humans. It leaves us feeling sick, emotionally wounded, and likely to think twice before trusting people again. We begin second guessing our friendships, conversations and ability to discern people’s character. We berate ourselves for becoming a victim:

How could I have been so naïve?

What was their motivation?

Should I even allow people to get close to me again?

And God…how in the world am I ever going to move on from this?

And yet, God’s Word to us is clear… we must forgive and move on. Betrayal is such a deep emotional wound that it has the power to wreak havoc in our lives. And more importantly, it can threaten to knock us off track spiritually, if we allow it.

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There is inherent power in doing the little things. In fact, some of the most notable people who changed history knew this, even as they accomplished great and noble strides for humanity. We should pay attention to their words of wisdom:

“Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.” - Mother Teresa

“Anyone who doesn't take truth seriously in small matters cannot be trusted in large ones either” - Albert Einstein

“I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble.” - Helen Keller

And of course, the greatest world changer that ever lived, Jesus Christ said:

“…if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you" (Matthew 17:20).

Nothing impossible. It’s a spiritual principle that Jesus demonstrated by feeding thousands with a little boy’s lunch.

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Crucifixion of one’s flesh first requires the voluntary crucifixion of our will, which as we all know, does not die easily, but leads to the life everyone longs for. It’s why Jesus recognized that “difficult is the way that leads to life.” 

But let’s face it. It’s not so easy to let our lights shine in our current culture, where any truth (but especially biblical truth), is constantly mocked and challenged by lies. Indeed, there are people today who are attempting to redefine established truth and reality to promote political agendas. So it’s become imperative for us believers to shine brighter than ever. 

God takes even our wrongs and brings right out of them. He won’t quit on His plans because you complicated things. He won’t abandon and forget you because you failed. He won’t write you off, and cancel your destiny because you did wrong. And you know why? Because He is a Finisher!

We will at times suffer unexpected setbacks and disappointments, even as we are progressing and our lives generally improve. So what do you do when such disappointment beckons you to pull back your faith and stop seeking God’s kingdom first in your life?

I think Jesus was saying, you guys are going to have a tendency to remember all sorts of random and unprofitable worldly stuff, and are going to forget what I’ve taught you. So I’m going to give you a Divine Reminder, an alert system on the inside of you, One who will bring to your remembrance what I’ve taught you at the exactly time that you need it, neither early nor late.