2017 has been a tough year for me in many ways. Perhaps you’ve felt it too. Some days it seems that the bad news never stops coming, and that the darkness of politics, social divides, violence, fear, and hatred will suffocate us. On top of that, poverty, human trafficking, gender-based violence, and all kinds of injustice seem to only increase around the world. And now comes Christmas, and all these songs about “Peace on Earth.” But I see no peace.

Upon closer examination, I think a huge part of the heaviness I feel has to do with looking to the wrong things to bring transformation. The government and human leaders were never going to save us. Non-government organizations cannot heal our brokenness. Wealthy corporations, technology, scientific discoveries… None of them are able to transform our hurting world.

It is God who makes big promises to us. The Bible is full of them: He is near to the brokenhearted (Psalm 34:18), He is distressed in our distress (Isaiah 63:9), He values us and will provide for our needs (Matthew 10). In fact, Jesus identifies so strongly with suffering people that he says whatever we do for one of them, we are actually doing for Him (Matthew 25).

And especially now, at the celebration of Jesus’ entry into our broken world, we remember His promise to bring peace, to be good news for the vulnerable, to save us by suffering with us and for us.

He is keeping His promises. God is able to bring transformation. He is active and involved in our world even on the darkest days. Here is some of the good news that has encouraged me lately:

  • In two gospel-hostile and impoverished countries, 1,000 communities have transformed out of poverty in the past few years. Even a communist-government-commissioned research team concluded that the transformations happened because the people in these areas began following the Bible. God is more powerful than poverty, injustice, environmental degradation, and persecution.
  • In Democratic Republic of Congo–ranked one of the poorest countries in the world, one of the most dangerous places for women, and one of the worst-scoring in human development–more than 3,000 churches are learning to reach out to their communities with Acts of Love and to bring every area of life under the lordship of Jesus. We’re  flooded with more stories than we can reasonably share of how these churches are bringing life, joy, and compassion to their communities. Now other African leaders who once told us DRC could never change are saying, “If God can do that in DRC, He could do it here as well!” God is not limited by statistics.
  • In India, one of the most dangerous places to be born a girl, domestic violence is rampant (as in, when we asked a group of educated men if it’s sometimes okay to beat your wife, 100% said “yes” by a public show of hands). But dozens of churches in New Delhi are studying what the Bible says about women and healthy marriage. Now pastors are telling us that they value their wives and help in the home like never before. These churches are hosting marriage seminars that are bringing healing to many homes. And women trapped in abusive situations are beginning to see the church as a safe and supportive place to get help. God is healing His bride so that she can offer healing to others.

Friends, I encourage you to watch a few videos or read more stories of what God is doing. Spend time re-reading God’s promises in Scripture, assured that He is working them out every day. Join us in prayer this month, asking that God will help all of us to depend more fully on Him and thanking Him for all He is doing.

Let the truth of God’s ability and activity in our world encourage you as we bring 2017 to a close. And may you celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace, fully assured that He is able to complete that which was birthed in a stable in Bethlehem—the reconciliation of all things.

For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. – Colossians 1:19-20