What Jeremiah Knew About Christmas

Not every Christmas is joy-filled.
Not every Christmas is eagerly anticipated.
Not even that first one.
Jeremiah knew that Christmas would be bitter for some.
    "Thus says the Lord: “A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping, Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted for her children, because they are no more.” -- Jeremiah 31:15
That first Christmas, Bethlehem's infant sons were all slaughtered. It wasn't all carols and bells. This is a timely reminder to us that many approach Christmas with trepidation, sorrow, or even bitterness. Maybe even we dread the happiness of the season this year -- and that is okay.
But Jeremiah didn't stay in the bitterness of the loss, because God didn't stay there. Not two verses later, Jeremiah reassures God's people: "There is hope in your future, says the Lord."

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