Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room
December 25, 2024
Matthew 1:18-25
18 This is how the birth of Jesus Christ took place. When Mary, his mother, was engaged to Joseph, she became pregnant by the Holy Spirit before they were married. 19 Joseph, her husband, was a righteous man. He decided to call off their engagement quietly because he didn’t want to humiliate her. 20 As he was thinking about this, an angel from the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife because the Holy Spirit conceived the child she carries. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you will call him Jesus because he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place so that what the Lord had spoken through the prophet would be fulfilled: 23 Look! A virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, And they will call him Emmanuel. (Emmanuel means “God with us.”) 24 When Joseph woke up, he did just as an angel from God commanded and took Mary as his wife. 25 But he didn’t have sexual relations with her until she gave birth to a son. Joseph called him Jesus.
Good Afternoon. The day is finally here!
Most of us had struggled at one time or another over the perfect gift for a friend or family member. We ponder over the proper sizes, current interests, and what fits in our budget. Of course, if the package is ordered or must be mailed, that adds other challenges as we deal with late deliveries and lost packages.
Parents are thrilled with any act of love in the form of a gift from their young children. We all are taught that it is the thought that counts. I still hang an ornament that each of my sons made in elementary school. Although the sequences have fallen off, and they are less than pristine in condition, I lovingly hang them on my tree each year,
God sent his son in the form of a baby to save us. Only a few people knew about the birth, and Mary, Joseph, and Jesus led everyday, ordinary lives until it was time for his identity to be revealed to the world.
The perfection of a gift is often not realized until later. Think about a child receiving a musical instrument, a writing tablet, paints, canvas, and brushes. Most will enjoy using the gift for a time, but then they set it aside and go on living their ordinary life. But, one might be the next great musician, author, or artist. Jesus was born an ordinary young man, but he is the son of God, and he will change the world forevermore.
Loving Lord, We are your children! Help us to see the gift of Jesus as a lifelong gift. Thank you! In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: Jesus is the most perfect gift ever given.
For unto us, a son is given: Through Christ, we are forgiven! Pastor Liz
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