Christmas Greetings 2020

2020! What a year! And truly, I mean it in the best way because for each of us the year contained everything we needed for our growth in grace. But oh my, didn’t you find that your heart was tested at times? I know I did! For Jack and me, our theme verse for the year has been 1 Samuel 3:18, in which Eli humbly comments on God’s unfolding and uncomfortable plan for his life, “It is the Lord; let Him do what seems good to Him.” This verse reminds us that every detail, every event, every difficulty and trial comes to us designed and determined by God for our good and His glory, which gives us all the more reason to rest in God’s ways.

As we think about 2020, Jack and I rejoice in the Lord’s kindness to us and our church. All praise is due to the Lord for the solid spiritual growth, and even steady numerical growth, that our church experienced. We’ve been encouraged by the way so many have chosen to lean on the Word of God, instead of giving into fear. I’ve been so blessed by the resolve of the ladies in my Bible study to faithfully work on their lessons and memory verses and see their diligence bearing fruit in their transformed lives.

Though some of my spring retreats and conferences were cancelled this year, the Lord graciously gave me a few opportunities in the fall to travel and teach, where I met new treasured friends and reconnected with old ones. We also welcomed our second, sweet grandchild into our family in June, and of course, we were instantly smitten! Bryant and Leah and their family thrive in Kansas. Nate is doing well and lives close by in downtown Louisville. And Mark just came back to the States to work awhile after finishing his 3rd master’s degree. Jack and I celebrated our 36th wedding anniversary this year and continue to marvel at how much fun we still have together!

The Lord has very kindly allowed my book on unmet expectations to be picked up by Shepherd’s Press. I don’t have many details yet, but it looks like it will be out sometime in 2021. I’m eager to work with Shepherd’s Press and develop this ministry partnership. It’s my prayer that this latest book offering will be helpful in drawing us to the One, who fulfills all our heart’s expectations. I’m also eager to start working on my next book, if the Lord gives me grace. Another treat for this year was writing and adding two new studies on the books of Exodus and Philippians.

Throughout this wild and wacky year, I’ve “played chicken” with fears and worries about the future. I can default to worry and fear all too easily, so with all the opportunities to “freak out” this year, I asked the Lord to help me change my response. Instead giving into the temptation to wallow in fear, doubt, and anxiety, I wanted to just trust the Lord, plain and simple, just like Abraham did in Romans 4:18-21. God has proven Himself over and over. He is faithful! It’s time for me to stop wilting and whining and to “hope against hope” by standing firmly upon God’s promises, and not grow “weak in faith,” which is so often my habit, nor “waver in unbelief,” but instead “grow stronger in faith,” no matter what circumstances God brings my way.

“Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,

Just to take Him at His word;

Just to rest upon His promise;

Just to know, Thus saith the Lord.


Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him,

How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er,

Jesus, Jesus, Precious Jesus!

O for grace to trust Him more.”

Trusting God, taking Him at His Word, and resting in His promises would never be possible, except for the promise given us in 2 Corinthians 5:17, which tells us, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” These simple truths are life-changing in import and should fully impact how we live our lives. The problem is that it’s just all too easy to stay in the same, old cycles of thinking and responding. Yet, a different kind of response is possible because we are new creatures in Christ. The old things can pass away because we are new creatures. That means there is hope for change, even in those deep, set-in-stone-in-our-heart kinds of sins, like fear and anxiety. Through Christ, His Spirit who lives in us, and the soul-sustaining Scriptures, God has given us the resources we need for literally growing into different people. Throughout the course of our life, our resemblance to our old family and old master, Satan, is whittled away so that we take on a whole new family likeness, so that we grow into the image of Jesus (Romans 8:29; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Colossians 3:10).

Zacharias, John the Baptist’s father, rejoiced in this very truth—that through Jesus Christ, we have hope and freedom from our sins, shame, guilt, failures, and Satan’s oppressive rule. Zacharias prophesied in Luke 1:67-75 that God accomplished redemption for us by raising up a King from David’s line, who would save us from our enemies show great mercy to us. We are rescued from the tyranny of sin and Satan, under whose oppression mankind has been miserable since that very first sin was committed in the garden of Eden.

No wonder the Christmas hymn rejoices:

“God rest you merry, gentlemen,

let nothing you dismay,

remember Christ our Savior

was born on Christmas day,

to save us all from Satan’s pow’r

when we were gone astray;

O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy,

O tidings of comfort and joy.”

Let nothing you dismay, when you remember it was Christ, our Savior, who came to save us all from Satan’s power when we were gone astray. The whole world lies in the power of the evil one (1 John 5:19), yet Jesus Himself tells us in John 16:33, “In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” Satan doesn’t win. The world doesn’t win. Sin doesn’t win. God wins. No matter what the next year brings, there is hope, rescue, and grace for those who have turned to Jesus for redemption. Jesus tells us in John 16:33 that life here on earth will be difficult because of sin and Satan, yet He gives us hope. What we know and experience now won’t last because Jesus will one day reign as King, which takes us back to Romans 4:18-21. Let us today, tomorrow, and the next day “hope against hope” by believing God’s promises for He who promised is faithful. Let us not grow “weak in faith,” even if it seems that God will not rescue us. Our God is faithful, good, and righteous! Let us not “waver in unbelief,” but instead “grow stronger in faith,” knowing that He will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).

Merry Christmas, friends!

Lisa