Christmas in a Weary World: Finding Hope in Hidden Placesنموونە

I’ve lived through seasons where I stared into the dark, heart aching for even a hint of light. Not a full answer. Not a ten-step plan. Just something. A flicker. A whisper. A reminder that God was still there. Still guiding. Still good.

The skies over Bethlehem weren’t empty that night. But they were dark.

The shepherds kept watch. The wise men journeyed far, guided by a star they followed.

And now, that same star settled over a humble place.

Just one light in the night sky, but it was enough.

That’s often how God works. Not with bright beams of certainty but with a shimmer. Not with a sky full of signs but with a single light that says, "Come."

Here’s what we know: no matter how hard we try, we can’t scoop up the darkness and throw it away. We can’t argue it down or power it out. The only way to overcome darkness is to grow the light. And that always starts small.

One star.
One Savior.
One small yes in the middle of your fear.

When One Light Begins to Grow

One of my favorite examples of this happened in 1989, in the city of Leipzig, East Germany, behind the Iron Curtain. Fear gripped the streets. The secret police watched everyone. Speaking out was dangerous.

But in St. Nicholas Church, a small group of believers gathered each Monday to pray. At first, there were only a few dozen. They lit candles. They whispered peace. They came back the next week. And the week after that.

The light grew.

Soon it was hundreds. Then thousands. Then tens of thousands. People spilled into the streets, holding candles in shaking hands, walking in silence.

One East German official later said, “We were prepared for everything, but not for candles and prayers.”

Soon after, the Berlin Wall came down.

That’s what God does. He plants a small light in deep darkness and lets it grow. That’s what happened in Bethlehem. That’s what happened in Leipzig. And that’s what he still longs to do in us. In you.

From that one child in a manger, the good news has now spread to more than 2.6 billion people across the globe. One light became many.

If you’re squinting into the shadows right now, unsure of your next step, it doesn’t mean you’re off course. You might just be learning to follow by faith, not sight. You’re in good company.

Is there…

• a word that touched your heart
• a verse that keeps returning
• a moment that lets you breathe again

These could be the lights God has placed on your path. Glimpses of grace. Glimmers of guidance.

They are enough. And He is enough.

Ask God:
Lord, help me notice the lights you’ve placed along my path. Show me where you are already guiding me, and grow your light within me.

Prayer:
Jesus, thank you for the flickers of light you give in the dark. When I long for clarity, give me faith. When I want to see the whole road, remind me that you are walking with me. Teach me to follow, even when the star is faint. I trust you. Amen.

Tomorrow, we’ll explore how God meets us in the lowliest places and transforms them with His presence.