'Til He Appeared

By Samantha Rodriguez

“‘She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.’ All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’ (which means ‘God with us’).”—Matthew 1:21–23 (NIV)

Have you ever lost something really valuable to you? Perhaps you lost your wedding ring, car keys, or a family hand-me-down. You’ve probably felt scared, distressed, and frustrated in these moments.

Just because something is lost doesn’t mean it’s worthless. If anything, losing something actually shows us how much value it truly has. This is similar to how we can view ourselves and the rest of humanity! We’re lost in darkness and can’t find our way out alone, yet this “lostness” doesn’t take away from our worth. As a matter of fact, God’s love for us is exactly what gives us our worth!

In the Christmas hymn we’re focusing on this season, “O Holy Night,” there’s a lyric that goes like this: “'Til he appeared and the soul felt its worth.” Though this lyric may go unnoticed, it conveys the truth that Jesus’ life allows us to feel the worth of our own lives. Because he was willing to enter the world as a baby, live life like you and me, and die a death he didn’t deserve, we can finally recognize that our lives are worthwhile yet lost. Jesus came because God found us worth fighting for and wanted to bring us back home, yet we still have the choice to make for ourselves.

During the Christmas season, it can be easy to fall for the lies of the enemy who wants us to believe we are worthless, unwanted, and alone. We must not allow his schemes to give way to our hearts because Jesus stands beside us through it all. He was born to save us and to be our forever friend. That’s why the prophecy in Isaiah 7:14 (NIV) claims, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” Our Scripture for today in Matthew affirms this exact prophecy. Jesus is Immanuel, God with us.

Think about what it’s like to do life with someone. Perhaps you’ve gone on a walk with a friend or gone on a road trip, taken a class, or cooked a meal with someone. When we do things with people, we create memories, develop deeper friendships, and experience the joy of community. Now, think about what it means that God is with us. Whether we have someone physically with us or not, we’re always certain that Jesus is with us as we do anything and everything in our lives!

Your worth doesn’t come from who is or is not around you at a certain moment. Your worth is not proven by the things you accomplish or the titles you have. Your worth comes from the One who made you because He is completely and perfectly worthy! Your worth comes from Christ, who willingly sacrificed Himself to save you! In this season, you can fight the enemy's lies by remembering these two things: Your life has worth because of your Creator, and your Savior has promised to be with you always, so you are never alone.

Pause: Do you believe you have worth? Have you allowed the overwhelming grace and love of Christ to truly define you?

Practice: This season, remind yourself daily of your identity in Christ and who Christ is. Remember today that God has made you with worth as a being created in His image. And since He is the most worthy being to exist, we should spend every day worshiping Him in our words and deeds!

Pray: Holy Father, beautiful Jesus, thank You for creating me and willingly coming to rescue me. I was lost, but now I’m found, and the appearance and life of Christ have allowed me to feel my soul’s worth. May I never allow the enemy's lies to convince me that I’m too unclean, broken, or lost to be in relationship with You through Christ. May I remember that You say I’m yours, giving me my worth, purpose, and hope. Nothing can or will ever change that. I praise You, Lord. Amen.