Your Daily Crossroad
What Christmas is About
Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. (Isaiah 9:7)
As we look at our world today, we realize that part of the promise of Isaiah 9:6–7 has not yet been fulfilled. The Son has been given. The Child has been born. But He has not yet taken the government upon His shoulders. We do not yet have peace with judgment and justice. But the good news is that there will come a day when Christ will return. He will establish His kingdom on this earth. And it will be the righteous rule of God himself.
Before Jesus could take the government upon His shoulder, He had to take the cross upon His shoulder. Before He could wear the crown of glory as King of Kings, He had to wear the shameful crown of thorns and give His life as a sacrifice for the sins of the world. The first time, a star marked His arrival. But the next time He comes, the heavens will roll back like a scroll, all of the stars will fall from the sky, and He himself will light it.
Christ came to this earth. God came near to you so you can come near to Him–to give your life purpose and meaning, to forgive you of your sins, and to give you the hope of heaven beyond the grave. Christmas is not about tinsel or shopping or presents. Christmas is not about the gifts under the tree. Rather, Christmas is about the gift that was given on the tree when Christ died there for our sins and gave us the gift of eternal life.
When I read this devotion I was reminded of this beautiful old hymn. What a day that will be when my savior I shall see, when I look upon His face, The One who saved me by His grace and when He takes me by the hand and leads me to the promised land, what a day a glorious day that will be. That’s what Christmas is about, eternity with Him.
Have a beautiful day in The Lord!
Today’s Reading is Isaiah 9:6-7
Breaking the Silence
And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. (Luke 1:17)
At the end of the Old Testament, God seems to be in hiding. For four centuries, the Jews wait and wonder. God seems passive, unconcerned, and deaf to their prayers. Only one hope remains: the ancient promise of a Messiah. On that promise the Jews stake everything. And then something momentous happens. The birth of a baby is announced.
You can catch the excitement just by reading the reactions of people in Luke. Events surrounding Jesus’s birth resemble a joy-filled musical. Characters crowd into the scene: a white-haired great uncle (Luke 1:5–25), an astonished virgin (1:26–38), the old prophetess Anna (2:36). Mary herself lets loose with a beautiful hymn (1:46–55). Even Jesus’s unborn cousin kicks for joy inside his mother’s womb (1:41).
Luke takes care to make direct connections to Old Testament promises of a Messiah. The angel Gabriel even calls John the Baptist an “Elias” sent to prepare the way for the Lord (1:17). Clearly, something is brewing on planet Earth. Among the dreary, defeated villagers in a remote corner of the Roman Empire, something good is breaking out.
You have come to us, and we rejoice! Jesus, You are the gift of redemption and hope for us. Thank You. Amen!!
When I read this I couldn’t help but think, He is our hope, He is my hope and He is your hope. Every time I begin to think about the depth of love He has for you and I, I start to cry, even when I’m reading my children a children’s book about his birth, I begin to cry. What love. Once in our world, a stable had something in it that was bigger than our whole world. Think on that today!
Have a beautiful day in The Lord!
Today’s Reading is Luke 1:11-17
God’s Gift to Us
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. (John 3:17)
When you’re a child, Christmas is all about receiving gifts. In December, your head is swimming with nothing but images of your favorite toys.
But the true message of Christmas is not the presents we give to one another. The true meaning is the gift that God gave to us, His Son Jesus Christ.
During the next two days, I want to point out to you three things about the gift God gave to us in that tiny manger in Bethlehem.
The first thing we want to realize about God’s gift to us is that it came in simple wrapping. Some people will go to great lengths to wrap presents beautifully. But God’sgift came to us not in beautiful, ornate wrapping, but in a dirty manger found in a cold cave in a little-known town called Bethlehem.
That’s the beauty of the Christmas event. Jesus took His place in a manger so that we might have a home in heaven. The Savior was not wrapped in satin sheets, but in common rags. There in a manger rested the greatest gift in the plainest of wrapping.
The second thing I want to point out about God’s gift to us is that we don’t deserve it. Consider this: God gave us the ultimate gift of His Son Jesus Christ while we were still sinning against Him (see Romans 5:8).
We did nothing whatsoever to merit or deserve His gift. That is the amazing truth of Christmas. Despite who we are, God sent His Son so “that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
With Christmas just days away, begin to prepare your heart for the celebration of the birth of our Savior. Meditate on the fact that Jesus was born to die so that we might live.
This devotion blessed me when I read it and I felt it needed to be shared. At times during this season we can become so overwhelmed with expectations that we need to just stop and remind ourselves and others what the true meaning of Christmas is. I couldn’t help but sense the stress, frustration and rudeness from many people while I was at the store the other day but as this devotion mentions, it is our responsibility to show the true meaning of this season and why we truly celebrate Christmas. It’s not for the gifts but for the one true gift, Jesus Christ and He alone. Jesus was born to die so that we might live. Let us show love, joy, patience and kindness today and every day. Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth. That’s the true meaning of Christmas. Let us not forget why He was born, so that we might live.
Have a beautiful day in The Lord!
Today’s Reading is Romans 5:8, John 3:16
Weary People with no Holiday Cheer
Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain, whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance, when it was weary. (Psalm 68:9)
I was shopping in Costco during the summer months and ran into an old acquaintance from a Bible study class we attended together. I asked her how she was doing and her response was, “Well, I have the most difficult time keeping the faith in the summer and during the holidays.” Her words were absolutely honest and sadly enough very true. We grow weary in doing good at different seasons of life. The holidays tend to be one of those seasons.
After talking with so many women at retreats, Bible studies, live radio programs, women’s events and even through emails, we have found that many Christians are basically weary(or at least the people who talk to us). Circumstances, people, finances, negative words and thoughts have all contributed to not having a desire to persevere. We know that the right thing is to persevere, run the race with endurance, and not lose heart, but sometimes it seems too difficult to just keep going, day in and day out.
If we were really honest, most of us would admit to having thoughts like, “How can I do it all? How is this going to work out? Why does life have to be this hard?” The added pressure of the holiday season demands more of our time and attention. Suddenly we find ourselves having no time to pray or seek the Lord. Instead, we try to spiritualize and justify our position by saying we are doing all these things for others as if we are living a sacrificial life. However, we can’t give others something we do not have. We can become unspiritual in the process. My father frequently said, “When your output exceeds your intake, your upkeep is your downfall.” It is too easy to fall down in the holiday seasons.
Why? Because God does not ask us to sacrifice but to obey. Jesus defined obedience in John 15 as abiding in Him. We need to take the time to be with the Lord. Lift your eyes toward Him, open your heart in prayer and seek the Lord. He will help you and He is able to provide rest for the weary soul.
This blessed me so much, what truth and honesty. I pray this touches you in such a way as it did I, it honestly brought tears to my eyes. Three words came to mind, He is able!
Have a beautiful day in The Lord!
Today’s Reading is John 15