A Holy but Not-So-Silent Night

“Therefore, the Lord Himself shall give you a sign; Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14)

Although Mary had not planned to deliver her firstborn child, or any child, in a stable, she was grateful for the lodging accommodations. Only a mother who has given birth without the benefit of pain-control medication would know that that night was not so much a silent one as Mary’s labor pains intensified. Scripture doesn’t say whether animals were present. Still, the couple was in the innkeeper’s stable and likely had onlookers that joined Mary in breaking the night’s silence along with Joseph’s assuring and comforting words. But the sweetest sound of that non-silent night was the first cry of her newborn son, Jesus: Immanuel (God with us).

Sometimes we have some not-so-silent nights (and days) when tragedy, heartache, illness, family concerns, or financial setbacks invade our space, breaking our life’s tranquility. Remember, Immanuel is with you and will never leave if you're God's child. Amid the struggle and noise of disorder, the Lord Jesus lovingly calls out to the weary and burdened to go to Him and find rest (Matthew 11:28–30). He is the only way to eternal life with God the Father; He is your refuge, protector, and covering. You find salvation, peace, and rest in joyous, noisy, or silent times in Jesus.