December 1 is here! By now most of us have started counting down the days to Christmas while looking forward to the end of the old and the beginning of the new.
My last featured devotional for the year, Wrapped in the Light by Gina Lynn Murray and Ellen Sallas (©2021 by Little Roni Publishers), provides a collection of thirty-one devotions appropriate for counting down those days and devoting time to the Word. These selections focus on the hope Jesus gave us all when He came into the world on that first Christmas night.
As He said, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”—John 8:12
Devotion #20 uses the prophecy found in Isaiah 9:6 to remind us of why Christ was born.
“Jesus is the Prince of Peace. He calms your fears and anxieties. He gives you peace that goes way beyond your understanding. His peace guards you and holds you. May all earth glorify Him and make His name famous above all. He is the Darling of Heaven, The Lamb of God, The Bright and Morning Star. Even the rocks and trees cry out in praise at His name. All other kings and kingdoms will pass away, but Jesus will remain eternal. Hallelujah!”
Devotion #25 reassures us of the peace Christ offers in the midst of our storms.
“Even when the world around you is shaken, if everything is broken and falls apart, you can still have peace. . . . Even though there will be tribulation, you can be full of joy! You can still dance in the rain and chase snowflakes, enjoy life and be filled with laughter. Be merry in your heart at all times.” John 16:33
While this devotional book can be used for any thirty-one days of connecting with Christ, its beautiful cover, like a scene from Narnia, transports the reader to the serenity found on a snowy winter’s day. Its title, Wrapped in the Light, reminds me of the comfort the Christ Child must have found as He lay wrapped in swaddling clothes the night He was born.
That Christ Child is the Light of our world!
Glenys Nellist beautifully shares the news of this Child’s birth in her picture book Good News! It’s Christmas! (©2019 by Discovery House and illustrated by Lizzie Walkley):
Good News!
Says God to us,
Smiling from above,
“This baby in the manger
Will fill your world with love.”
As Mary must have counted down the days before the birth of her Son, let us count with sacred anticipation the days leading up to the holiest of holidays to come later this month.
As we look to the Light, let us find time to focus on the true meaning of Christmas. Here are a few suggestions:
- Read one chapter a day from the book of Luke and finish on Christmas Eve.
- Re-read Chapter 2 on Christmas Day.
- Make daily use of an Advent calendar.
- Visit a live nativity scene or a Bethlehem village near you.
- Sing or play religious Christmas carols as you decorate your tree.
- Display a nativity scene in a prominent place in your home.
- Adopt a Christmas angel.
- Go caroling at a nearby nursing home.
- Volunteer at a soup kitchen.
- Read and discuss Christmas stories with your family. For example, O. Henry’s classic short story “The Gift of the Magi” shares a timeless theme of selflessness relatable to kids and adults of all ages. Nativity picture books can also help bring the real Christmas story to life for young children.
One picture book perfect for helping children see the images of that first Christmas night is Laura Sassi’s Happy Birthday, Christmas Child! (©2022 by Paraclete Press and illustrated by Gabi Murphy):
“While Mary lights five lantern wicks,
the baby in her belly kicks,
reminding her she’ll soon give birth
to the Savior of the earth.”
This book allows parents to interact with children as they count the elements of the nativity story. Also, the pages filled with glowing lights from stars and lanterns and angel choruses remind us all of the importance of being wrapped in the Light.
Like the buds on my Christmas cactus searching for a light source, may we all bloom together as we turn our faces toward the Christ Child, the Light of the world.
“To walk in the light means that everything that is of the darkness drives me closer into the center of the light.”—from My Utmost for His Highest Journal by Oswald Chambers
“Compassion has a tear; joy has laughter. And here ever after peace has a smile. Redemption’s blood has veins to flow in, a temple to glow in. Light is a Child.”—from “Hope Has Hands” by Phil Cross
“The Hope that was born that night continues to radiate down through the years until it envelops your heart and mine.”—from The Joy of My Heart by Anne Graham Lotz
“If it wasn’t for the Lighthouse, my ship would sail no more.”—from Ronny Hinson’s “The Lighthouse”
“Salt of the earth, Light of the World, make us whole.”—from “Salt and Light” by Becky Buller and Mark Simos
“Light drives out darkness. When I flip the light on, darkness is dispelled. Light and darkness don’t coexist. Light overcomes the dark wherever it shines.”—from Ron Block’s Abiding Dependence
“He saw it all with new and wondering eyes. It was the light, perhaps, richer and more radiant in the deep of the night.”—from Shepherds Abiding by Jan Karon
Isaiah 60:1; John 8:12; John 12:46; Luke 2:9
When I read “light and darkness don’t coexist” I envisioned two times when it does; i.e. when the sun sets and the evening overtakes the daylight and when the sun rises and the suns rays penetrate the veil of darkness. But, in the religious context the statement is true as I believe until you find Christ you are traveling in darkness; i.e. not seeing the gift of his presence and eternal light. Once you accept Jesus as your savior and become a believer and then rise to being faithful you do see the light in the sky; be it the glory of God or the sining light above the horizon we call Heaven.
Blessings to you this fine day!
Thank you, Pete!!
Thank you for including Good News! It’s Christmas! Joyce. Happy Advent!