Daily Devotional for Monday 25th December
Day 1- Journeying to Jesus
This week the devotionals are going to be focussed on people who were there at the first Christmas. We will follow a simple pattern:
1. Read the bible. Hear God’s word to us.
2. Reflect on an aspect of the passage with a focus on a person.
3. Pray. We will pray the same prayer at the end of each day’s devotional.
Our aim is that the simplicity and repetition will help us draw closer to Jesus this Christmas whatever we’re going through at the moment.
We pray that we’re built up and encouraged in our walk with Jesus – whether that’s in our: sadness or happiness, busyness or quietness, in the company of others or loneliness.
Read: Matthew 2:1-8
Time to reflect…
Here we read about the start of the journey of the magi (scholars, astronomers, astrologers) to see the Christ Child whose birth we are celebrating today. It is estimated that it could have taken the Magi anything from 3-12 months to travel to see Jesus, so it’s a big journey that would have taken a lot of preparation, not a spur-of-the-moment decision. It’s a journey they felt was important to make. They had found out that this wasn’t some ordinary baby being born; it was someone they knew deserved their attention and worship. Someone they were willing to give up time to go and see. Someone they were willing to stop their lives for.
How much time have you spent preparing for Christmas? How much time shopping, cooking, wrapping presents…? Now compare that with how much time you’ve spent preparing for Jesus’ return.
How much time are you willing to give up to help guide someone to Jesus today?
Pause to pray…
Heavenly Father, we pray that as we reflect on the people who were there at Jesus’ birth, you would prepare us by your Holy Spirit for Jesus’ return.
We pray that we would be so amazed by your grace and love for us that our praise and thankfulness would overflow this Christmas time, so that those around us would learn of your love for them. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
