“You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at His birth” (Luke 1:14).
A few weeks ago, my wife and I discovered some old family video—on VHS! Here we rediscovered some rare family footage that we had forgotten: family vacations at the beach, birthday parties, Christmases of years past. These images of our children when they were young brought laughter and tears.
One of the tapes we discovered also recorded the birth of our children—one son and one daughter. The days of their births were some of the happiest of our lives. We were tired, but elated. We saw in both our children a great promise that would unfold in the years ahead.
When Zachariah received word that he at long last would have a son, he scarcely could believe the news. Yet it was promising news—astounding really.
During this season before Christmas, we also feel the promise in the air. We often see the promise in the faces of children and hear it in their voices, but we can sense the promise that God holds for humanity also because we are people of faith.
One of the deepest and most life-changing messages we can offer to teenager is that they hold promises from God inside of them. There are many teenagers who lack self-esteem or confidence, and others wilt under their self-imposed feelings of failure or inadequacy. However, every teenager has some promise inside—some great work that God can unfold and accomplish through them.
As you grab hold of the promise of the season, don’t forget to pass along this promise of Jesus to others. Many are awaiting to hear the message.
