Morning by Morning, November 28 - Transitioning from Thanksgiving to Christmas Good morning, Lord Jesus. I begin my day by speaking out Your name to embrace Your Spirit, here in my heart and every moment of my day (Romans 8:9). ... On the seasonal calendar that marks the traditional Christian influences upon the character of our nation, we’re transitioning from Thanksgiving to Christmas. Each holiday season carries its own sense of emotions, expectations, and meanings. In Thanksgiving, we, of course, sense thankfulness and gratitude. We’re thankful and grateful for our God who provides, for our God who gets us through the challenges, for our God who’s with us always no matter what we face with the grace to overcome. In Christmas, we’re looking forward with hope and expectant faith for the coming of the One who fulfills the promises of God. In a way then, Christmas comes before Thanksgiving in the way that we hope with expectant faith for God to come in the Christmas season. And then, after we experience Your coming day in and day out, all year long, we celebrate with thanksgiving and gratitude that You came and that You’re here in the Thanksgiving season. While I’m very aware of all the discussions and debates of the origins and influences of both of these holiday seasons, I’m also very aware of Your power to redeem all things and cause all things to work together for good (Romans 8:28). And among all the messiness and messaging around these days, I see Your Spirit moving in hearts with renewed gratitude every Thanksgiving and with renewed hope every Christmas. So in this transitioning from Thanksgiving to Christmas, I’m welcoming Your Spirit in my heart to begin a fresh stirring of hope with expectant faith, grounded in the confidence of so many seasons of these spiritual cycles where I’ve been able to thank You for a hope that doesn’t disappoint and a faith that never fails. “And this hope will never disappoint us, because God has poured out His love to fill our hearts. He gave us His love through the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to us” (Romans 5:5 NCV). With thanksgiving in my heart and also filled with hope and expectant faith, I join my prayer for all who are now transitioning from Thanksgiving to Christmas with the prayer of the Apostle Paul: “I pray that the God who gives hope will fill you with much joy and peace while you trust in Him. Then your hope will overflow by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13). As the spirit and season of Thanksgiving was filled with gratitude, now let the spirit and season of Christmas be filled with hope -- all by the abiding grace of Your Presence and the overflowing power of Your Holy Spirit filling our hearts with faith and hope and love. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the love of Jesus, Tommy Hays My friend, may you be filled with both thanksgiving and with the hope of expectant faith for the coming of the One who fulfills all the promises of God, in Jesus' name. Happy Thanksgiving! God bless you!
Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries Mailing Address: 412 S. Adams Street #148 Fredericksburg, Texas 78624 Please share this word to encourage a friend! Anyone can sign up for free at: https://messiah-ministries.org | 
