Be sure to sign up for the free daily email devotional Christmas Joy. Many people do these 25 readings every year as a rhythm of reflecting on the wonder, the power, and the joy of the coming of Jesus the Christ. Each brief daily reading takes a word from the biblical text associated with the coming of Christ.
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The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. — Luke 2:20
At the birth of Jesus, amidst the dirt and straw of a stable, a millennia of promises, prophecies, and hopes were fulfilled. In the birth of a child, something that happens every single day all over the world, something happened that would change the world. Everything the faithful were anticipating took shape. It was the alignment of all that was meant to be.
The shepherds heard, they saw, and it was all just as they’d been told. In a perfect conjunction of heaven and earth, God came to earth, connecting the two for his eternal purposes. Years later, Jesus would tell us in so many different ways, “I have come into the world as a light” (John 12:46); “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10); “For this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth” (John 18:37).
So…
When we are sensing the dirtiness of life in this world, we can focus on the purity of Christ.
When we feel weak, we can lean on the power of Christ.
When we are ill, we can remember that he is the Great Physician.
When we are confused, we can turn to his words to get our bearings.
When we are damaged, we can remember that he said he would not break a bruised reed nor snuff out a smoldering wick.
When we know we have sinned, we can know his forgiveness.
When we are wayward, we can remember he called himself “the way.”
When we have been lied to, we can remember he called himself “the truth.”
When we feel like our energy and our enthusiasm is waning, we can remember that he called himself “the life.”
And so, we can pray:
Thank you, Lord Christ, for humbling yourself and taking the form of man. Thank you for pushing back the darkness of this world and of my life. Thank you for living before us so we can see just how much life we can have. Let me live for the next 52 weeks in the light of your ongoing presence and power in this world. And then let me celebrate Christmas again—with joy.
Also read:
- How to Live the Bible — A Prayer for the Christmas Season
- How to Live the Bible — Christmas Joy
- How to Live the Bible — JESUS
- How to Live the Bible — Everlasting Father
- How to Live the Bible — A Prayer for the New Year
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Get Christmas Joy–A Devotional by Mel Lawrenz
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[If you believe this series is helpful, this is the perfect time to forward this to a friend, a group, or a congregation, and tell them they too may sign up for the weekly emails here]
Mel Lawrenz (@MelLawrenz) trains an international network of Christian leaders, ministry pioneers, and thought-leaders. He served as senior pastor of Elmbrook Church in Brookfield, Wisconsin, for ten years and now serves as Elmbrook’s minister at large. He has a PhD in the history of Christian thought and is on the adjunct faculty of Trinity International University. Mel is the author of 18 books, including How to Understand the Bible—A Simple Guide and Spiritual Influence: the Hidden Power Behind Leadership (Zondervan, 2012). See more of Mel’s writing at WordWay.