JOY COMES IN THE MORNING: A Christmas Devotion on Waiting for God

"Momma? I'm thirsty."

"Momma? I can't sleep."

"Momma?"

"WHAAAAATTTTTT???!!" Momma's Christmas cheer was running on empty.

My sister Mary and I frantically wrapped, taped, and tied the loose ends left to the last minute, racing the clock to make all those sugar plum dreams come true.

"Is it Christmas yet?" The youngest played innocent, but he knew the drill.

"Santa won't come till you're asleep!" The mommas yelled in unison.

But we knew that our backs would ache and our knees would go numb long before we could click our cocoa mugs to another successful Christmas Eve.

"Nice work, Santa."

Bone-tired, we tiptoed to bed, smiling despite ourselves. Soon, it would all be worth it; joy would come in the morning.

A few hours later, a stampede of stocking feet and squeals announced the official end of the waiting, "Momma! Momma! Santa came!"

In the Bible, 2 Peter 3:8 says that to God, "1,000 years are like a day."

So I suppose, a day on earth must be like 1,000 Christmas Eves.

Right now, we toss and turn in the darkness, wondering what God's doing out there.

When will this night be over?

Why can't He let us in on the big surprise?

"We just wanna peek," we whine, beginning to tire of not having the run of the house.

But in times of testing, our faithful Father is tirelessly working for our good.

Will the light ever come? We wonder, barely able to contain ourselves.

But it's the wait that increases the joy.

It's the darkness that precedes the glory.

So, we wait on the Lord. We trust; we obey. We rest even as we wrestle, knowing it's only a matter of time till we behold the promised glory.

If not today, tomorrow.

The last tear will fall, the wounds will close, the struggle will cease, and the darkness will flee.

Jesus will come for His people, so rest in His promises.

You're His beloved child. You know the drill.

"Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning." (Psalm 30:5)