Soul Devotion December 18th, 2014

            During this time of year, it is easy to see how people are busy getting ready for the Christmas season.  The time of Christmas parties, shopping, traveling, and getting together has already begun.  For some people, this can be the most stressful time of the year because of so many demands on their time and money mean that they have to pick and choose what they are doing.  It is as if the idol of Christmas has taken over the meaning of Christmas.

            So what do I mean by that?  I mean that we have forgotten or misplaced what the true meaning of Christmas is.  We have had our focus shift from celebrating the Savior’s birth to see if we can find that impossible to find gift for someone.  Christmas is a time where we have the opportunity to reflect on the grace that God had on us when He sent His Son as a babe in a manger.  Jesus did not come in some flashy manner that caught everyone’s attention, but rather, He came quietly, in a way that the Jewish people were not expecting, to save His people.

            This year, I am resting in the fact that this amazing event, the birth of this Child, would be a game changer.  This Child would repair a relationship to God that we, in no way, could repair ourselves.  This Child would be the One that demonstrated to all the people how our relationship to God was suppose to look like.  This Child brought peace, love, and joy to a people that desperately needed those things.

For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6 New King James Version

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth 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 heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!” Luke 2:10-14 New Revised Standard Version   

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Shawna Lavender
Children's Ministry Director| Soul Sanctuary
shawna@soulsanctuary.ca