I Heard the Bells: Hope When Christmas Hurts

Devotional

Day 1: When Christmas doesn’t feel like Christmas

Christmas is often full of joy, cookies, family, and familiar traditions, yet some years it simply doesn’t feel like Christmas. Health struggles, strained relationships, financial pressure, relentless schedules, or an empty chair at the table can turn the season heavy. You are not a Scrooge; you love Jesus and you love the joy in others, but your own heart feels worn. This is precisely where grace meets you, not after you pull yourself together. Bring your ache into the light of Christ’s presence, and let the bells of good news ring over your sorrow. Hope begins by telling the truth to God about how you really are today [10:12].

Psalm 69:1–3 — God, save me; I feel like the waters are up to my neck. I’m stuck with no solid ground, and deep currents keep sweeping over me. I’m worn out from crying for help; my throat is raw, and my eyes are tired from waiting for You to act.

Reflection: Which specific part of this season feels heaviest to you, and how might you name it honestly before God in prayer today?

Day 2: Honest lament that leans into hope

Scripture shows that faithful people grieved deeply—David felt like he was drowning, and Jeremiah wept over a broken city. God does not shame tears; He receives them as prayers and turns them into a doorway to hope. Lament is not unbelief; it is faith refusing to settle for less than God’s presence and promises. After pages of sorrow, Jeremiah remembered what he knew to be true about God and found solid ground again. You can follow that path—tell the truth, then hold fast to what you know of God’s character. Let your lament carry you toward hope, not away from it [11:45].

Lamentations 3:21–23 — Yet this I call back to mind, and it gives me hope: the Lord’s covenant love does not run out, and His mercies don’t dry up; they rise fresh with each morning. Your faithfulness, Lord, never fails.

Reflection: What one-sentence lament could you pray today, and what one-sentence truth about God will you hold right beside it?

Day 3: God is not dead, nor does He sleep

Longfellow’s words ring true in every hard season: God is not dead, nor does He sleep. When circumstances seem to mock the promise of peace, we cling to the truth of God’s word, not the verdict of our feelings. The Lord lives, and He remains a shelter for all who run to Him. He is a rock under weary feet and a refuge that does not move in the storm. Let this be your anchor: the wrong will not have the last word, because the living God holds the last word [08:33].

Psalm 18:46 — The Lord is alive! Blessed be my unshakable Rock; let the God who rescues me be lifted high.

Reflection: When the week grows loud, what simple practice (a verse, a breath prayer, a brief pause) will help you run to God as your refuge?

Day 4: Remember the end of the story

The Bible begins with a good world—no pain, no fractured families, no death—and our sin unraveled that goodness. God would not leave us there; He sent Jesus to reconcile us to Himself and to secure a future where everything broken is made new. The promised end is not vague comfort but a new heaven and new earth where God dwells with His people in unbroken peace. One day, every tear will be tenderly wiped away, and mourning will be a memory. Keep that ending in view when the present feels like it’s mocking the promise of peace, because God’s final word is restoration [12:28].

Revelation 21:1–4 — I saw a new heaven and new earth, because the old order had passed away. The holy city came down from God like a bride beautifully prepared, and a voice announced: “God now makes His home with humanity.” He will be with them as their God, wiping every tear from their eyes; death, grief, crying, and pain will be gone, because the old things are finished.

Reflection: Which present sorrow will you place in the light of eternity today, and how might that change your next faithful step?

Day 5: Keep your eyes on the cross for daily peace

At Christmas the bells remind us of the angels’ announcement: peace on earth, goodwill toward men. True peace flows from Jesus—His life with the Father, His cross for our sin, and His resurrection for our hope. He has promised never to leave or forsake His people, even when the season feels heavy. Fixing your gaze on Jesus doesn’t erase pain, but it steadies your heart with a deeper joy. Choose to look again to Christ today, and let His peace guide your steps [09:06].

Luke 2:10–14 — The angel said, “Don’t be afraid; I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. Today in David’s town a Savior has been born—He is the Messiah, the Lord.” Suddenly a host of heaven praised God, saying, “Glory to God above, and peace on earth to those embraced by His favor.”

Reflection: What one concrete habit this week (such as a daily reading, a brief prayer before meals, or a quiet evening walk) will help you keep your eyes on Jesus?

Sermon Summary

Christmas is easy to love—food, family, traditions, and the songs that carry our memories. But some years the weight of life makes the season feel thinner than it used to. That’s why I chose “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.” Longfellow’s carol holds the joy of Christ’s birth in one hand and the ache of a broken world in the other. He knew loss: a tragic house fire that took his wife and scarred his face; a nation torn by the Civil War; a son wounded in battle. His words, “For hate is strong and mocks the song of peace on earth,” speak for anyone whose experience doesn’t seem to match what they believe.

Scripture doesn’t avoid that tension. David felt like a drowning man, too exhausted to cry, too numb to eat. Jeremiah stood among the ruins of Jerusalem and wept over a city that once shone with God’s presence. Yet neither of them pretended. They lamented honestly, and then they remembered what is truer than their pain: “The Lord lives… Great is your faithfulness.” Longfellow’s carol echoes that move of faith: “God is not dead, nor doth He sleep. The wrong shall fail, the right prevail.” When despair shouts, we cling to what God has said.

We also keep the end of the story in view. God made a good world; our sin fractured it. Jesus stepped into that fracture—born in Bethlehem, crucified and risen—so sinners could be forgiven and reconciled to God. And the last chapter is already written: a new heaven and new earth where God dwells with His people, wipes every tear, and ends death forever. Some peace breaks in now—God mends relationships, heals wounds, steadies hearts—but full peace is certain when Christ makes all things new.

So if this Christmas doesn’t feel like Christmas, you’re not faithless—you’re human. Bring your lament to God. Hold fast to His Word. Fix your eyes on Jesus. Let the bells—literal or remembered—remind you that the angels’ announcement is not wishful thinking but a promise secured by the cross and guaranteed by the empty tomb. The world won’t always feel like this. Christ is near, and the story ends in peace.

Key Takeaways

1. When belief and experience collide Sometimes life seems to mock what we confess, and that dissonance is painful. Scripture gives us language for this—lament that refuses denial and refuses despair. Faith is not pretending; it’s bringing confusion, grief, and questions into God’s presence. That honesty is the path by which hope takes root again. [30:37]
2. Cling to God’s unchanging Word In the noise of sorrow, we need a louder truth: God is not dead, and He does not sleep. The Bible was written in the trenches of human pain and speaks with credibility to sufferers. Let Scripture recalibrate your feelings, not by scolding them but by anchoring them in God’s character and promises. The wrong will not win; the right will prevail. [38:38]
3. Biblical lament opens the door to hope David and Jeremiah do not bypass sorrow; they walk through it toward remembrance. After tears and honest words, they “call to mind” God’s steadfast love and new mercies. Hope isn’t a mood swing; it’s an act of remembering who God is within what hurts. That kind of hope holds when circumstances don’t. [41:02]
4. Remember the end of the story Creation began good, fell into ruin, and is being redeemed in Christ; it will be restored fully when He returns. Revelation’s vision of no more death or tears isn’t poetry only—it’s our future. Bringing tomorrow’s certainty into today’s struggle reshapes how we carry pain now. The last word of history is peace with God, not the ache of the moment. [44:55]
5. Keep your eyes on the cross The cross is not a slogan; it is God’s deepest answer to evil, sin, and suffering. There, love and justice met, and your future was secured. Returning to the cross daily reorients grief—it anchors you in a Savior who suffered with you and for you and who now reigns. That is how courage and quiet joy grow in hard seasons. [47:33]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[21:24] - Announcements: kids, coffee, cookies
[22:40] - Opening prayer
[23:29] - Christmas joy and nostalgia
[27:15] - Meet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
[28:19] - When Christmas doesn’t feel joyful
[31:16] - Longfellow’s tragedy and the war
[32:46] - “There is no peace on earth”
[33:35] - David’s honest lament
[35:18] - Jeremiah and a fallen city
[38:07] - Cling to the truth of God’s Word
[42:10] - Remember the end of the story
[44:55] - New creation: no more tears
[47:33] - Keep your eyes on the cross
[49:24] - Closing prayer and dismissal

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading
- Psalm 69:1–3
- Lamentations 3:21–23
- Revelation 21:1–4

Observation questions

Read Psalm 69:1–3. What images does David use to describe his condition (water, mire, flood, weariness)? What do those images tell you about the reality of his suffering and how vivid honesty about pain looks in Scripture?
Read Lamentations 3:21–23. What does it mean that “But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope”? How does remembering God’s steadfast love and new mercies follow — or change — an honest lament? (See the sermon’s quoted line: “But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope. The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases.” [41:02])
The carol and the sermon name a clash between “peace on earth” and real-world hatred: “For hate is strong and it mocks the song of peace on earth, goodwill to men.” [32:46] Where have you seen circumstances that feel like they “mock” what you believe? How does naming that tension help you see reality more clearly?
Read Revelation 21:1–4. Which details about the new heaven and new earth stand out most (God dwelling with people; wiping away every tear; no death)? How do those specifics shape the horizon of hope for present suffering?

Interpretation questions

Why does remembering God’s mercy come after Jeremiah’s lament rather than before it? In other words, what role does memory play in moving from honest grief to hope? (See: “But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope…” [41:02])
How should the claim “God is not dead, nor doth he sleep” affect the way a believer interprets slow or unanswered suffering? What practical difference does it make to say God is active rather than absent? (See the sermon’s line: “God is not dead, nor doth he sleep.” [38:38])
David’s language in Psalm 69 felt like drowning. How does that kind of bodily, concrete language help the church form words for lament today instead of quick platitudes? What does Scripture’s use of such images teach about pastoral care?
Revelation promises: “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more.” [44:55] What does that promise imply about the ultimate defeat of evil and the present task of the church toward those who grieve?

Application questions

“But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope.” [41:02] When was the last time you intentionally called God’s mercies to mind during a hard season? What one memory or truth from Scripture could you rehearse this week when grief or doubt comes?
“God is not dead, nor doth he sleep.” [38:38] Name a current worry or situation that feels stalled. How would you talk to God about it differently if you truly believed he is active in the struggle? What is one concrete action (prayer, Scripture, or a conversation) you will take this week to remind yourself of God’s presence?
“Keep your eyes on the cross.” [47:33] Practically, what does “keeping your eyes on the cross” look like for you this Christmas season — especially if the season feels thin? (Examples: specific Scripture to read each morning, a worship song to sing, a person to speak truth with.) Name one practice you will commit to for the next seven days.
“He will wipe away every tear…” [44:55] How does the certainty of no more tears change the way you will comfort someone grieving now? List two concrete ways you can show gospel presence to someone who will find Christmas painful.
The sermon encouraged honest lament rather than pretending everything is fine. Who in your life needs permission to lament, and how could you create a safe place for that honesty this week? Will you invite someone to coffee, prayer, or a short time of shared Scripture and silence?
Cling to God’s Word as an anchor in sorrow. [38:07] What one verse or short passage will you memorize or keep on your phone to call on in dark moments? When will you practice it (time/day) and who will hold you accountable?

Sermon Clips

So God, through the prophet Jeremiah and other prophets, had warned Israel, step away from your sin, turn from your sin, come back to me, and I will forgive you. Otherwise, I will destroy the city. I will give you over to your enemies. All right, and so time and time again, the prophets prophesied to Israel, saying, turn, turn. But they refused. And so God punished them by giving them over to the Babylonians, who destroyed Jerusalem and took many of the people captive, even those that were faithful to God. [00:34:54] (35 seconds) #TurnBackToGod

And so Jeremiah describes how this once beautiful city that was built to be a light to the nations and to point others toward God, a city where God had dwelled with his people, was now destroyed and reduced to only a memory of better days and more joyful times. And we could talk about numerous different figures in the Bible enduring painful and trying periods in their life. People like Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Paul. They all experienced seasons marked by deep sorrow, grief, and suffering that appeared to clash with their trust and faith in God. [00:36:35] (39 seconds) #FaithThroughSuffering

God's word is there for us during our most trying times. It's not a book full of flowery sayings and positive thinking words. It was written for people who are in despair and who have lost their way, who have been abandoned by others. The Bible is God's book for people who are lost and hurting. When our circumstances and life bear down on us and move us to despair and pain, we must keep in mind the truth about God and his word. [00:38:45] (28 seconds) #BibleForTheHurting

Jeremiah, after sharing his grief, his heartache over the destruction of this city, of Jerusalem, the lives that were destroyed, the emotional and physical pain and the suffering of God's people, the uncertainty of the future. He looks to God and the certainty that he does know, that God's love does not cease. His mercy continues to come even in the hard times. And God is faithful all the way to the end. He doesn't abandon his people. [00:41:08] (37 seconds) #GodNeverAbandons

So with our songwriter and David and Jeremiah, we must cling to the truth of God's word in difficult seasons of life. Not only that, but we must keep in mind the end of the story. If we were to go all the way back to the beginning of the Bible, we see God created everything, and he created it good. Everything was perfect, just the way he wanted it. It was perfectly designed. It was perfectly made. It functioned perfectly. There was no suffering. There was no pain. There was no family dysfunction. There was no financial turmoil, no anxiety, no despair, and no death. But by chapter 3, everything goes wrong. [00:41:45] (47 seconds) #HopeBeyondTheFall

But God was not willing to leave us in our sin. And so he sent Jesus, the one whose birth we are celebrating this Christmas season. And Jesus came to show us what it was like to live in a right relationship with God and ultimately to die in our place for our sins. And now, because of Jesus, we can be forgiven of our sins and have a relationship with God and spend eternity with him rather than apart from him. [00:43:28] (29 seconds) #ForgivenThroughJesus

There will be times where we experience peace here on earth. The gospel of Jesus and the power of God are able to work in any of life's difficulties, whether it's with family, whether it's with our nation, whether it's with pain or with heartache. God can work through all those, in all those areas. He can mend all those relationships. He can heal our hurt and our pain. But ultimately, for those who believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior, we will experience eternal peace from all suffering and all strife when we dwell with Him for eternity in heaven. [00:45:50] (40 seconds) #EternalPeaceInJesus

That is why I enjoy this carol so much and why I wanted to share it with you here today. In this carol, the author gives us both the good and the bad of our struggle in this life. And it helps us to see, it helps me to see anyway, how even in the pain and the struggle and the suffering of life, it's important for us to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. [00:47:06] (26 seconds) #EyesOnJesusAlways

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