Merry Christmas!

“All right then, the Lord himself will give you a sign.
Look!
The virgin will conceive a child!
She will give birth to a son and will call him
Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’).”
Isaiah 7:14 (NLT)

As I have had a few moments here and there to think about Christmas and the why behind Jesus coming to earth,
I am reminded of God’s great love for us. How He sent His Son to earth to declare and live out before us how God loves us and moves in our lives.

I was reading an article that talked through the names of Job’s daughters post suffering and trial. I loved how much they point to God’s love and what Jesus does for us when we accept His gift to us - His death, resurrection and a whole, healed life.

As we have talked about before, names mean a lot to God! “Every name carries a message, a whisper of His plan, and a revelation of His grace.”*

Let’s walk through this together, keeping in mind the great and fierce love God has for you and asking Holy Spirit to speak to you as you read these wonderful meanings:

His first daughter is named: Jemimah (juh-MY-muh) means “dove” = peace, purity and the Holy Spirit.
His second daughter is named: Keziah (kuh-zai-uh) means “cassia” (a precious and fragrant spice used in anointing oil, think cinnamon bark) = holiness, healing and the sweetness of restoration.
His third daughter is named Keren-Happuch (KER-en HAP-uck) means “horn of beauty” = horn= power and strength; beauty = reflects God’s grace and restoration (the radiance that comes from a life purified by the fire and restored by the hand of God).

After all the deep suffering, losses and pain Job endured God brings peace, healing, grace and restoration. What a beautiful picture of what God desires to bring into our lives through Jesus.

“These three names are not just about Job’s daughters.
They’re about what God does in us.
After trial, after every loss, He brings
peace like Jemimah,
sweetness and healing like Keziah,
and strength clothed in beauty like Keren-Happuch.”*

I don’t know about you, but not only have I experienced God’s peace, healing, sweetness and strength! I also love the reminder that God is all about restoration. He doesn’t just give us things back, He transform our lives as we experience Him in our moments of going from deep suffering and loss to peace and healing.

All of this is possible and available to us because Jesus came to live with us and die for our sins. His life showed grace in action as He loved those who were thought of as unworthy.

This Christmas, I am grateful for a God that didn’t say: “That’s it. I’m done. I did it once and all you can do is read about it, sorry.” We walk with a God that still restores, He is still revealing His grace and He is still turning ashes into beauty.

That’s worth celebrating!

I pray you can find a few moments of quiet during these next few weeks to reflect on all that God had restored in your life. Or if you are in middle of suffering and loss that you will hold onto the promise that God continues to bring peace like Jemimah, sweetness and healing like Kezah, and strength clothed in beauty.

Jesus came for you!
You are loved!
You are seen!
You are cherished!

I pray this Christmas you walk in all the knowledge, love and fully believe what God says about you!!!!

Merry Christmas!
All My Love ~
Jodi xo

P.S. This is my one and only blog this month. Enjoy your family and I’ll see you next year. 😊💖

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*excerpts taken from article