2MefromHim Devotional
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you…” 1 Peter 1:3,4 NIV
“Mom, we can’t have Christmas this year without Grandpa.” My eleven-year-old son put a voice to my own tender feelings. Only two months following the sudden death of my father, I didn’t feel like celebrating anything. How could I help my children to see that his death was the very reason we must celebrate the coming of Jesus Christ into the world, that year, and every year?
With tears in my eyes, I sent up an arrow prayer for an answer that would sooth my heart and his, and God provided. “If it weren’t for Jesus being born as a baby, He wouldn’t have grown into the man who was willing to die for our sins. The resurrection of Jesus at Easter is how we know we will see Grandpa again, and that is why we will celebrate.” The gift of the Christ Child means nothing without the sacrifice of His death.
Reading about the crucifixion and resurrection at Christmas gives a special perspective to the celebration of Christ’s birth. The Babe of Bethlehem was born to die for MY sins. His birth, life, death, and resurrection are inextricably linked with the hope of all mankind. Without His death for our sins, we would have no reason to celebrate Christmas.
The emptiness of secular Christmas celebrations frustrates me. Without Jesus, Christmas is just another reason to party, wallow in selfishness, and compete to give the best and biggest gifts. People spend too much, eat too much, party too much, and drink too much, all of which has nothing to do with the real reason for the season.
Does our Christmas celebration focus on the birth of the Savior or is it just a winter holiday? Christmas brings eternal life, a winter holiday distracts us from the true meaning of life.
Our family has determined to make Jesus Christ the center of our celebration. We must give more to the needy than to those we love. We’ll say “Merry Christmas” when someone says “Happy Holidays.”
Jesus Christ is the greatest gift the world has ever known. Honor Him with our gift giving. Tell others why we celebrate. Give Jesus Christ center stage in Christmas. The gifts under the tree are worth nothing compared to the Man who hung on the tree for me.
© Copyright December 7, 2012 by Norma Gail Thurston Holtman
About the author:
Norma Gail’s debut contemporary Christian romance, Land of My Dreams, released in April 2014. She has led weekly women’s Bible studies for 20 years. Her devotionals and poetry have appeared at ChristianDevotions.us, the Stitches Thru Time blog, and in “The Secret Place.” She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, FaithWriters, Romance Writers of America, and the New Mexico Christian Novelists. Norma is a former RN who lives in the mountains of New Mexico with her husband of 39 years. They have two adult children.
Connect with Norma:
Website: www.normagail.org
Book trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQbZIoC_JSE
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorNormaGail
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+NormaGailwrites
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Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7874459
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Norma_Gail
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/norma-gail-thurston-holtman/42/71a/3b2
Book Links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Land-My-Dreams-Norma-Gail/dp/1941103170
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/land-of-my-dreams-norma-gail/1119606864?ean=9781941103173
2 Comments
Oh, Norma Gail! This really ministered to me as I just lost my Dad, and we are struggling through the same stuff. Thank you, Sweet Friend!
I thought of you when I realized that was the devotional I shared today. I’m keeping you in my prayers!