Devotionals

We have arrived at my favourite day of the year. I’m sure many people prefer Christmas day itself, but for me, it’s always been Christmas Eve. A tangible sense of anticipation permeates the air. Children are waiting for Santa, mothers are defrosting their turkeys, and for many years, my best friend/sister Lou and I enjoyed what we called our Christmas eve church crawl.

I’m sure you’ve all heard of a pub crawl. You have a drink in one pub before stumbling on to another. All too often, the night ends with multiple regrets and a pounding headache. Might I humbly suggest a church crawl instead?

The day kicked off with what was known as the crib service. It happened at eleven, with the venue alternating annually between two traditional Church of England churches. WE sang carols, shared communion, and set our hearts on the real meaning of the season.

After that, we returned to Lou’s house for festive nibbles. We planned something different every year. Once, we had an entire table piled with a buffet from which we snacked for the remainder of the day.

Mid-way through the afternoon, we tuned in to Radio 4 to hear the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols from Kings College Cambridge. I’m not normally a fan of choral music, but it seems fitting as part of the Christmas Eve tradition.

We often missed the end of the broadcast, however, because it was time to head out for Christingle. This was the busiest service because it was designed for families. Children love holding their oranges and waiting for the lights to dim while everyone sings Away in a Manger by candlelight.

Later, we visited the local methodist chapel of which Lou was a member. We made a note of the carols we sang at each church in an effort to work out which were the most popular.

The day reached its climax at midnight, when we shared communion in the same church we’d visited for the crib service twelve hours earlier. There’s something special about being in a place of worship during the moment at which Christmas Eve becomes Christmas Day.

It’s likely Jesus wasn’t born on the twenty-fifth of December, but this is the day on which we choose to remember his birth, and therefore, it’s special. I still struggle to sleep on Christmas Eve, like the little girl who longed to hear sleighbells. However, my reasons are different now. I lie in the darkness or sit amongst my thousands of lights, and I try to imagine Mary giving birth in a stable, with Joseph holding her hand, encouraging, yet fearful. I picture the shepherds, struck with awe and wonder by a visit from an angel choir, and rushing to Bethlehem to find the baby in the manger born to be the Saviour of the World.

Life has moved on and Lou and I are no longer able to enjoy our church crawl, but Christmas Eve is still my favourite day.

A happy and blessed Christmas to you all and thank you for following my journey of advent devotionals.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank you for coming into the world so humbly, living a perfect life, dying a perfect death, and rising again three days later. Thank you for the forgiveness, love, and mercy you offer. Today, I receive those gifts with a heart overwhelmed with love and gratitude.

Song: What Kind of Greatness by Graham Kendrick

Scriptures to Ponder

John 1: 1-5: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
John 1: 10-14: “He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Early on Christmas morning when I was about seven or eight, my father announced that Father Christmas had left two of my gifts in the kitchen because he had to bring them into the house through the back door. Presents were normally placed in my stocking or under the tree, so I was a little baffled. The two extras turned out to be a blue bike and a red scooter. Years later, I found out they were second-hand. Dad had found them, painted them, and made them look new.

Nowadays, parents spend crazy amounts of money at Christmas, but I don’t believe a child has to be showered with expensive toys to know they are loved. In fact, too many gifts can sometimes have the opposite effect as things and people become devalued. Once, my nanna Dil gave me a bag of knitted doll’s clothes, and I cherished them as much, if not more, than my shop-bought presents.

When we light the fourth advent candle on the last Sunday before Christmas, we think about love. Some people struggle to understand and accept god’s love because they weren’t raised in families where their mothers took time to chat about their day when they arrived home from school, or where their dads painstakingly sanded down and re-painted bikes and scooters, or their grandmothers spent hours knitting clothes for cherished baby dolls. I have often said I wish I could share my childhood, but more than that, I long to share the love of Jesus. All human love is imperfect, but he is the parent and friend who will never let us down.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, please show us ways of sharing your love this Christmastime, and please direct us to those who need it most.

Song: Noel by Chris Tomlin (Featuring Lauren Daigle)

Scriptures to Ponder

John 3: 16: “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”
Psalm 36: 7: “How precious is your unfailing love, O God! All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of your wings.”

In December, it’s customary to not just wish each other a merry Christmas, but also a happy New Year. The two celebrations slot together because they are separated by just one short week.

If you listen to the chatter in supermarket queues, you will probably hear other customers complaining about the year that’s ending, and hoping the next will be better. However, when you stop to think about it, all that really happens at the stroke of midnight on the thirty-first of December is that we take one calendar down to be replaced by another. Is a new year really a new start, when wars continue to be fought, illnesses progress, and people we care about suffer? Is the best we can hope for simply to survive next year, gritting our teeth and fighting through the mire to see another Christmas?

If you’re finding this post a little depressing, I have some good news. In fact, it’s the best news ever. You don’t have to wait until a specific date to begin again. If the weight of your life feels too heavy to bare, let me encourage you to focus again on the baby in the manger. And don’t be so quick to look away. Jesus grew up to face all the trials and temptations we endure, even though he was perfect and divine. No one can accuse him of not understanding what it’s like to be human, because he does, even to the point of death.

We can begin again. Although we have no control over what next year will bring, we can choose to place our futures into the hands of someone who is totally trustworthy. In Jesus, you can have your new beginning.

Prayer

Lord, as I look ahead to the start of a new year, I place my hand in yours and ask you to guide me, comfort me, and walk alongside me every step of the way. I surrender my plans to you, and ask you to reveal yours.

Song: Human for me by Katy Kinard

Scriptures to Ponder

Ezekiel 36: 26: “And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.”
2Corinthians 5: 17: “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”

In the dark winter months when daylight hours are scarce and the sky is so grey that we wonder whether someone is playing with the dimmer switch, many people suffer from what is known as Seasonal Affective disorder, or SAD. This can make the winter a time of dread. We are tempted to shut the doors, pull up the drawbridge, and hibernate until spring.

During my childhood, my excitement grew as the days shortened because Christmas was coming, and I struggled to understand why others failed to share my joy. I appreciate their reasons more now.

I recall a number of occasions on which I asked my grandmother whether she was looking forward to Christmas. Her reply was always the same. “I’m looking forward to the twenty-first of December because it’s the shortest day. After that, the days will get longer, and we’ll have lighter nights and warmer weather.”

In November 2007, my grandmother was hospitalised with an illness from which she never recovered. I sat at her bedside for the final time on a Thursday afternoon less than a week before Christmas, listening to her ragged breathing and knowing the end was near. Despite my grief, I revelled in those last moments with the woman who had always been my greatest cheerleader and best friend. Nanna Dil was leaving us, but my husband and I had led her in the prayer of salvation just months before, and I was comforted by the certainty that she was going to be with Jesus.

Nan’s heart stopped beating in the early hours of the following morning, and she left for her eternal home, a place where there is no darkness, constant joy, and perfect peace. And the date? It was the twenty-first of December. Jesus had waited for the shortest day, the day she looked forward to in the same way I waited for Christmas. Nanna Dil will never dread the dark nights again. She is alive, surrounded by light, and safe with Jesus. I can’t wait to run into her arms and ask for a guided tour of our heavenly home.

Prayer

Lord, I pray for those who are struggling because of the dreary weather and the dark nights. May they be comforted by the light of your presence, and may they remember that spring and summer will soon come again.

Song: Let there be light by Point of Grace

Scriptures to Ponder

Deuteronomy 31: 8: “Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.”
John 14: 27:”I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.”

I am a person for whom sleep has never come easily. My mother despaired of me for my first five years because I didn’t seem to need much rest. Perhaps I had an over-active imagination. It certainly went into overdrive on Christmas Eve, when I lay in bed waiting to hear sleigh bells or the clatter of reindeer on the roof.

As much as I wanted to stay awake, I also knew I had to sleep. If I didn’t, Santa wouldn’t come and there’d be no presents to open in the morning. So eventually, somewhere in the early hours, I drifted off with my stocking still empty, only to wake before dawn to find it miraculously filled. How did that happen?

Now let’s be honest. It’s not just children who get excited about gifts. Or am I the only woman past forty who still loves a surprise? One year, my husband proudly announced he’d bought me a small edible device. I racked my brain. It didn’t make sense. Devices aren’t edible. It turned out to be an iPod Nano. It’s definitely small, and since it was made by Apple, I suppose you could argue that’s the edible part of the clue. I still treasure it, and we’ve laughed over my puzzlement ever since.

Why do we give gifts at Christmas? I believe it is an acknowledgement of the greatest gift of all. The gift of Jesus was much more exciting than my iPod. It came to entertain me with music. He came to die for my sin and give me eternal life. One day, the iPod will stop working. It’s already failing because it’s almost eight years old and has been replaced with more sophisticated technology. Yet Jesus will never wear out, become outdated, or grow old. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever – as relevant now as on the day he was born. The love he offers is the gift that keeps on giving, so hold out your arms, open your heart, and accept the giver and his gift.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, as we prepare to give and receive gifts on Christmas morning, may we remember that we do this to celebrate and remember you, the greatest gift of all.

Song: The giver and the gift by Point of Grace

Scriptures to Ponder

2Corinthians 9: 15: “Thank God for this gift too wonderful for words!”
Ephesians 2: 8: “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.”

I wonder how many people will be driving home for Christmas. Or will you be flying, or traveling by train? I’ve heard the next few days are some of the busiest on the motorways and in the airports, and I’m glad to be cosying up at home.

Making travel arrangements at Christmastime can be extremely stressful, especially if bad weather leaves you stranded. We don’t have much snow in the UK, but high winds and flash floods often lead to cancelations. I recall watching the news one Christmas Eve to discover that many people would be spending the night on the floor of Heathrow airport because of an air strike.

It seems appropriate that so many go home at this time of year, as we remember a couple who had to journey roughly ninety miles due to a census that demanded an enforced return to the town of their ancestry. And of course, there is no Biblical record of that famous little donkey, so perhaps Mary had to walk. Even if she did have an animal to ride on, it wouldn’t have been a comfortable experience for a woman who was eight months pregnant.

We also remember the wise men who journeyed from the East, following a star, bringing precious and expensive gifts for the baby born to be King of the Jews.

Our Christian walk is also a journey. It begins when we realise the baby in the manger is Christ the Lord and we accept him as our Saviour. It continues through the many dangers, toils, and snares of life which we face with God’s guidance and strength, leading us one day to an eternal home where pain and suffering will be no more. It’s an exciting journey, but Jesus never promised it would be easy. However, I thank him for guiding me along his straight path every day, and my prayer is that you will join me so we can walk side by side, encouraging one another in his love as we go.

Prayer

Lord, I pray for the safety of those who are traveling this Christmastime. May flights and trains be on-time, so everyone will reach their destinations and be reunited with their loved ones.

Song: Seekers and Dreamers by Graham Kendrick

Scriptures to Ponder

Philippians 1: 6: “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.”
Psalm 37: 23-24: “The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.”

My pastor and his wife have a beautiful glowing nativity scene in their garden. However, this morning, Amy informed me that poor Joseph took a battering in last night’s high winds. He was bending precariously, and she had to tell Ian to lie him down. So it looks as though poor Joseph might be condemned to spending Christmas flat on his back.

Have you ever considered the fact that Joseph tends to be the most overlooked character in the Christmas story? How many sermons have you heard where he was the main focus? Does the child intrusted with the task of playing Jesus’ earthly father in the church or school nativity play even get any lines? Mary often has a song to sing, and the shepherds and wise men have speaking parts, but Joseph is told to lead the donkey, look after Mary, and smile.

A few days ago, we talked about the interruption to Mary’s carefully made plans. Well, those were Joseph’s plans too. No doubt this faithful carpenter was already hard at work adding an extra room onto his father’s house in readiness for his new bride when the startling news filtered through. Mary was pregnant, and she was attempting to excuse her scandalous behaviour by claiming her baby was the Son of God.

Matthew’s Gospel talks about Joseph as a righteous man who did not want his fiancé to suffer public disgrace. This speaks volumes about his character. He could have shamed her, or possibly had her stoned. Instead, he intended to break the engagement quietly. Imagine his heartbreak over the likelihood that his trust in Mary had been betrayed. Perhaps she wasn’t the woman she’d pretended to be. Had their whole relationship been based on lies?

Joseph did not act on impulse. The Bible says he considered his options, and while he was doing this, God’s angel appeared to him in a dream, confirming that the baby in Mary’s womb had been conceived by the Holy Spirit. The truth gave Joseph the freedom to carry out his plans, marry Mary, and help her bring up God’s Son.

Perhaps, like Joseph, you find yourself waiting for the truth to be revealed. You are confused about vital life issues and seeking clarification from God. I urge you to persevere in prayer because we serve a God of truth and justice. I also encourage you to open your heart to the greatest truth of all – that Jesus is god’s Son, come in the flesh to save us from our sin and show us the way to enjoy a right and fulfilling relationship with our Father God.

Prayer

Lord, I lift to you today the areas of my life in which I am seeking truth and justice, and I thank you that you know all things.

Song: A Strange Way to Save the World by 4Him

Scriptures to Ponder

John 8: 32: “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
3John 1:4: “I could have no greater joy than to hear that my children are following the truth.”

During the build-up to Christmas, my parents ensured we either visited the homes of aunts, uncles, and cousins, or they came to us. It alternated every year, although I don’t think there was a set schedule. We swapped gifts and shared memories. Uncle Alan and his family were always the last to come on Christmas Eve. We put their gifts under our tree and gave ours in return.

My parents reserved Christmas day for elderly relatives living alone. Nanna Dil, Auntie Lean, and Uncle Eddie joined us around the Christmas table until their health left them housebound. Another elderly friend refused to leave her home, so my mother took her a dinner.

Once the dishes were washed, my father and Uncle Eddie dozed in front of the television while my mother took the womenfolk to visit her sister, auntie Pat. We spent Christmas afternoon at her house laughing and eating more food.

On Boxing Day, I spent time with Dad’s side of the family. His twin brother Uncle John and his wife hosted me along with Dad’s sister Auntie Gloria, and I enjoyed playing with my cousins and admiring their new toys and games. I also had a second festive roast because Auntie Linda needed to use up the leftovers.

Looking back, I realise how special those family times were, and I’m grateful for memories shared with loved ones, many of whom are no longer with us. Auntie Lean died first, followed by Uncle Eddie and Nanna Dil. Later, we lost Auntie Gloria, Uncle John, and hardest of all, my father.

On Christmas Eve, I like to take a moment to reflect, to remember the feint echo of well-loved and well-remembered voices, because I don’t want to forget. I re-live moments around the dinner table, or the Christmas Eve when Auntie Gloria’s smoke fumes drove me out of the lounge. I escaped into the front room, switched on the light, and stumbled upon a carefully wrapped and not so carefully hidden collection of presents. I can’t remember what those parcels contained, but I remember the love of my aunt who would have broken her heart if she’d realised she was inadvertently responsible for shattering my childhood illusions of a man in red sliding down the chimney while I slept.

Material possessions come and go. They are quickly forgotten or replaced, but our loved ones are precious gifts from God, so let’s take a moment this Christmastime to pray for those who are left and thank God for those we have loved and lost.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, I thank you for my family and friends. Help me to give back some of the love they have freely and selflessly given to me.

Song: On This Day by Reba McEntire

Scriptures to Ponder
John 15: 12: “This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you.”
Psalm 68: 6: “God places the lonely in families;”

Our church has partnered with Operation Christmas Child for over twenty years. This means that during the early part of November, we open our doors to people bringing shoeboxes lovingly filled with carefully selected presents for children living in some of the poorest parts of the world. It’s humbling to think that these shoeboxes contain the only Christmas gifts many of these youngsters will ever receive.

On Shoebox Sunday, we pray over the boxes before they are collected, and we watch videos showing the unbridled joy on the children’s faces when they receive their gifts. It is a far cry from the reaction of some children in the UK who have so much that they sometimes forget how to be grateful and become frustrated over the things they didn’t receive.

It seems fitting to think about Operation Christmas Child today because during the third week of advent, we traditionally focus on joy, and in particular, the joy of the shepherds who were the first to hear the good news of Jesus’ birth.

These ordinary men were terrified when an angel suddenly lit up the night sky, but their fear soon turned to rejoicing when the angel shared his good news and sang with the heavenly chorus.

Such was their eagerness to see baby Jesus that the shepherds left their sheep and rushed to find him. They then became the first Christian evangelists, telling everyone within earshot about the message of the angels and the birth of the baby king.

I think we could all learn a lot from the joy of the shepherds, and from the beautiful children in deprived countries who cry tears of joy over flannels, toothbrushes, and soap.

Prayer

Lord, we ask that you might fill us this Christmastime with the joy of the shepherds. May it bubble up inside us, until we feel compelled to share it with everyone we meet. Also, please teach us more about the simple joy of giving.

Song: Joy to the World (Unspeakable Joy) by Chris Tomlin

Scriptures to Ponder

Acts 20: 35: “And I have been a constant example of how you can help those in need by working hard. You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
Luke 2: 10-11: “but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!

I don’t know anyone who appreciates having their carefully made plans interrupted, especially if the intrusion spoils something we’ve been looking forward to, or something we feel we desperately need.

Picture a cold, dark December night. You’re tired after a long day of work or Christmas shopping, you battled through bed-time with a couple of over-excited children, and now all you want is to tuck into that special box of chocolates you’ve been saving for such a night as this, put your feet up, watch a film or read a book, and allow yourself the luxury of dozing in front of the fire. Doesn’t that sound cosy? I can hear your sighs of relief.

Yet just as you are about to put these plans into action, the doorbell sounds. Should you answer, or pretend there’s no one at home? They’ll probably come back another time. They can always text or call if it’s urgent. However, a lifetime of well-taught politeness drags you to the door, where you find an old friend you haven’t seen for years.

Now your emotions are torn. Part of you still wants to collapse in front of the fire, but the other part is thrilled to see your visitor. So you invite them in and send up a speedy prayer for a change of attitude while rushing into the kitchen to put the kettle on and grab the mince pies. By the end of the evening, you’re glad they came, and you urge them to come again soon.

Unwelcome interruptions really can turn into blessings if we are willing to let Jesus adjust our attitudes. Changes of plan can lead to moments of rejoicing beyond our wildest dreams.

Let’s take some time to think about Mary. She was a young girl with her whole life mapped out. Or so she thought. She was going to marry Joseph the carpenter, keep house, and bare his children. In modern terms, she’d already chosen her dress, decided on the colour scheme, and ordered the flowers. Everything was ready, until the angel Gabriel turned up out of the blue with a shocking announcement. Mary was going to have a baby. And he wouldn’t be just any baby. Her child would be the Son of God. She would conceive him while still a virgin. Surely this would lead to terrible accusations and suspicions. Mary would be seen as an adulteress. She might be stoned. Yet her response to the angel’s message shows her to be a woman of incredible faith. She asks questions. Who wouldn’t? But following the briefest of explanations, she surrenders to God’s plan by saying, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.”

I have always admired Mary, and I wish I were more like her. I long for her faith and her willingness to put God’s plans ahead of her own, no matter the cost.

Prayer

Father, when unwelcome interruptions threaten to change my carefully made plans, may I be more like Mary. Especially when I have the sense that those interruptions have come from you, so they have a greater purpose than I am able to understand.

Song: Magnificat by Keith and Kristyn Getty

Scriptures to Ponder

Proverbs 16: 9: “We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.”
Jeremiah 10: 23: “I know, Lord, that our lives are not our own. We are not able to plan our own course.”