19 days till Christmas. Now don't worry. I won't be counting down the days till Christmas all week. But for today there is a reason which I’ll explain shortly.
This is the time of year for family get togethers, Christmas parties, white elephant gift exchanges, shopping for presents, making presents, decorating the tree, the house, and for some their cars. You know who you are. It's a time when some people work more, spend more and just ‘do’ more. It's easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the season. For some of you, knowing that Christmas morning is only 19 days away brought excitement and joy. For others of you, it brought about stress and thoughts of everything you need to do before then. I fall into that second group of people. Being a natural born procrastinator (at least that's what I tell myself to deflect any blame) I often wait to get everything done at the last minute. This leads to feeling rushed to decorate, buy gifts, wrap gifts, send out Christmas cards etc. It's a never ending cycle of stress at a time that should be filled with joy and peace. It took me several years to realize that it's okay to not have the house fully decorated, that buying presents before December is actually a good idea and if I don't get Christmas cards out the world will not end. (I’ve actually contemplated the idea of sending Christmas cards in July because no one would expect it.) It’s more important for me to take time out to laugh with my children, hang out with friends and family and let go of the little things in order to rest in God’s peace. When did celebrating the birth of Jesus become such a frenzy? When did trying to get everything done replace joy and excitement? When did stress become more common than a sense of peace? For the next 19 days I encourage you to take time each day to spend resting in the Lord, take some time to enjoy life and those around you. I encourage you to reflect on the peace of God and the birth of Christ. Spend time reading and studying the Word. Mary, after giving birth to Jesus amidst the craziness of the census and the hustle and bustle of everything going on in Bethlehem, took time to ponder everything that had happened. God sent his Son to earth to bring a new hope and a different kind of peace; a peace that stills one’s heart and gives one hope for the future, a peace that reminds us that we are not alone. God is with us, Emmanuel. Luke 2:1-20 At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. 2 (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. 4 And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. 5 He took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. 7 She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them. The Shepherds and Angels 8 That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.” 15 When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” 16 They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. 17 After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. 18 All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, 19 but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. 20 The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.
3 Comments
Sharon
12/6/2016 05:01:50 am
Thank you sheralyn!
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Sherry
12/6/2016 05:50:12 am
Peace.
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Esther Crank
12/6/2016 10:29:56 am
Thank you for the two good devotions. I have enjoyed each devotion. It is so good to focus on the right One during this Christmas season.
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AuthorThe Pastors of Cornerstone Wesleyan Church Archives
July 2017
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