Christian Devotionals and Scripture Applied to Everyday Life

Seasons come and seasons go! For the past month or so we have all geared up for the big day – Christmas produces such excitement and expectation. Now the day has come and gone and many are feeling a letdown. Adrenaline and frantic busyness to get everything just right has taken its toll and exhaustion hits full force. This feeling of sadness at the end of something special will happen all throughout life, but I have found a way to carry the joy of the season with me.

There are only a few more days until Christmas. As the celebration creeps closer and closer some of us are still running around seeking to find the perfect gift for those we love. We scour the lists of ideas that have been given to us and make our choices about which present would best express our thoughts and make our loved ones happy. Hopefully we will choose that perfect something!

Christmas is a time for giving and receiving, and who doesn’t know this better than children? For weeks now youngsters have been dreaming about the packages they will find under the tree Christmas morning, and the hopes and expectations build as the day approaches. I remember as a teenager my younger siblings tiptoeing into my room to wake me up early. Together we would sneak into the living room to peek under the tree. We would curl up and watch the lights twinkle and we would dream while waiting for the day to begin. That was one of my favorite parts of the special day, and it’s probably why you children could always get me up Christmas morning before Dad.

Most of us live within the confines of the ordinary. We get up each morning, make our bed, eat our breakfast, brush our teeth, do our work, come home, go to bed, and wake up to do it again the next day. With a few variations the regular events of our lives become a well-worn path of comfort to some and frustration to others. But sometimes as we go about our ordinary rituals, an extraordinary moment occurs - sometimes God shows up in a mighty way!

Christmas is a time for music. Very early in the season holiday tunes blast from the radio, in the stores, and in our homes. Christmas concerts abound in all sorts of venues. The joyful sounds put us in the Christmas spirit and heighten the excitement of a much-anticipated day of celebration. Last night we attended the Cedarville High School choir and band concert. As usual the talent of our students and music directors produced an auditory treat. The wide variety of music spoke of Santa Claus, Snow Flakes, Trips down Candy Cane Lane, and more.

Trust is something that everyone everywhere displays in one way or another. When I sit down on a chair, I trust that it will not break. When I eat my food, I trust it isn’t contaminated. When I dial my cell phone, I trust I will reach the person on the other end. Even though I don’t understand the mechanics of all these things, I have confidence that everything will be fine. But when it comes to putting my life on the line, I carefully consider the integrity, strength, and ability of the person to whom I will entrust my greatest possession.