Hello ,

In 1964, archaeologists discovered a letter written by a Roman soldier stationed far from home. In it, he begged his family to “pray to the gods” for his safe return, promising offerings if only he made it back alive. His words echo a universal human longing: the desire to be saved from danger, from uncertainty, from forces beyond our control. Throughout history, people have cried out to something they hoped was listening.

But Christmas proves that Someone was.

Scripture tells us, “The Lamb was slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8). Before you ever drew a breath, before the first sin was committed, before humanity ever reached for God… God had already planned to reach for humanity. Jesus’ birth wasn’t a backup plan. It wasn’t a divine reaction. It was a rescue story written before time began.

When the angels declared, “Glory to God in the highest… for unto you is born a Savior” (Luke 2:11–14), heaven wasn’t announcing something spontaneous. They were revealing a plan so old it predates creation itself.

This is the heart of Christmas: God saw the world’s need for salvation long before the world saw its own darkness.

You never shocked Him. 

You never surprised Him. 

You never sinned your way beyond His foresight, compassion, or mercy. 

The cross was already in His heart when the stars were flung into space. Bethlehem existed because Calvary was coming.

Whatever you’re carrying this season — fear, regret, weariness, uncertainty — remember that God’s plan to save you didn’t begin with your failure; it began with His love. He chose you before you chose Him. He sought you before you called His name. Christmas reminds us that salvation isn’t something we stumbled into. It’s something God pursued intentionally, passionately, and eternally.

And He has never once stopped writing redemption into your story.

Today's Musical Selection:  O Come All Ye Faithful

Have a great day and God bless!

Pastor Mike / The Open Word