This is Not a Christmas Devotion
Ok, I’m writing this 2 days before Christmas and a Christmas song is the focus, but it really isn’t a Christmas devotion. Let’s see if you agree.
We were on our way to Church yesterday and we had Christmas music playing on the radio. My wife mentioned that “Mary, Did You Know” was a favorite song of hers.
She went on to explain that the verse about kissing the creator of the universe at night almost makes her cry. Women, at least my wife, have a special bond with their children that I’ll, as a guy, will never fully understand. I told y’all the story about my wife sniffing our sweaty, grubby mostly adult son when she hadn’t seen him in a while when he was in drum and bugle Corp (still kinda grosses me out) as a prime example. Smells and touch seem to mean something more to her than they mean to me (and I love a good hug).
What did Mary think when she kissed our Lord goodnight? We tend to skip most of those years from his birth to the start of his ministry. What about some fun questions like whether Jesus’ siblings ever heard “why can’t you be more like Jesus”? Or did Jesus ask for a few minutes when told to clean his room?
Jesus, our Lord and Savior, is both 100% God and 100% man. Did that mean he resisted taking a bath as a young man? So many questions…
But none of them matter beyond:
“I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” - 1 Timothy 1:12-17 ESV
Pastor Patrick commented in his sermon yesterday that some people come to church wearing a suit while some come to church wearing shorts. I was raised more with that former attitude in mind, but Patrick is right, apparel doesn’t matter. What is in your heart and how are you changing to focus on worshipping God is what matters.
“For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous. Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you. We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.” - 1 John 3:11-24
See, not a Christmas Devotion, but a how can I be more like Christ devotion.
Pastor’s Note – I would like my wife Chellie to take note that our Devotion writer said, “I was right.”
