Oh, my LORD...on this day when we celebrate Your immeasurable gift of the birth of Jesus, please keep me in awe of You and Your compassion.
I cannot fathom how or why or how much You have loved me and my fellow humans...that You would give us the only gift which made it possible for us...for me...to be restored and adopted and chosen to be in Your forever family.
Please teach me today, among the gifts and glitter and gatherings to stop regularly and to be grateful again for Your love and care for us.
Thank You for Jesus and His willingness to be our payment for sin. I am so unworthy and at the same time so thankful for Your love, in Jesus' precious and holy name, I pray. Amen.
Verse for Today: "In those days la decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed,who was with child. Andtwhile they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and vlaid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the LORD. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,“Glory to God in the highest,and on earth peace among those with whomHe is pleased!”
1When the angels went away from them into heaventhe shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the LORD has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them." (Luke 2:1-20)
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
