3rd. December. 2020. Daily Devotion.
20 Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, 21 equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. Hebrews 13:20-21
During my years of ministry in Australia I encountered a family who invested so much in Christmas and Easter that unless everything was perfect, they counted their celebration spoiled. I interested then to discover this:
In the movie National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, poor Clark Griswold just desperately wants to have “the most fun-filled old fashioned family Christmas ever.“ His hopes and expectations are set so incredibly high that he is actually sabotaging his plans of merriment to setting himself for failure.
Do we all tend to have a little bit of Clark Griswold in us? I think if we answered truthfully, we would have to admit—yes, we do! We want the lights, the decorations, the tree, the trimmings, the relatives, the packages, the cookies, punch, and goodies. We want it all.
In trying to have it all, we actually end up with less: less sleep, less money, less energy, less joy, less peace . . . less Christmas. The holidays end up becoming hopeless instead of hopeful. Maybe if we would shift our Clark mentality to Christ spirituality, we would gain something?
If we make Christ the centre of our Advent and Christmas season, we can settle down to have more common-sense plans. We need to start each day on a good foundation of scripture, prayer, and meditation. We can listen to God’s still small voice directing us in the ways we should go. He will not place heavy burdens on us or give us jobs too big to complete. We can allow Him to do His work through us. He can be our strength, stamina, and help. He will “equip us with every good thing to do his will.” This sounds like the kind of Christmas which pleases Christ and is doable for us.
I pray that we will all decide to have a Christ Christmas this year instead of a Clark Christmas. I confess that I have been guilty of trying to do too many other things instead of Christ things. I pray that He will guide my path and remind me daily to choose Him. I am sure it will make for a much more peaceful Christmas season.
Prayer for Peace
Lord, in a season when every heart should be happy and light, many of us are struggling with the heaviness of life—burdens that steal the joy right out of our stockings. Tragedy arrives as innocent victims suffer, and an inner voice whispers, “Be afraid!” We need your peace, Jesus. We confess that our hearts are too often filled with wonder of a different kind: wondering when the bills will be paid, when the terror will stop, when rest will come. Will it ever? Is the message still true? In a world where worry, not peace, prevails, stir up that good news again.
This Advent make it real in our hearts. Never have we needed Your joy and peace more than now. Thank You for the gift of Jesus, our Immanuel, the Word made flesh. We not only need Your peace and joy; Lord, we crave it. You’ve promised rest for the weary, victory for the battle-scarred, peace for the anxious, and acceptance for the broken hearted—not just at Advent, but every day of every year. Your name is still called “Wonderful,” “Counsellor,” “The Mighty God,” “The Everlasting Father,” and “The Prince of Peace.” We know that peace on earth can only come when hearts find peace with You. You are still our Joy. You are still our Peace. You are no longer a babe in the manger. You are Lord of lords and King of kings. And we still celebrate You as Lord—this Christmas and always.
~Edited from Rebecca Barlow Jordan’s “A Prayer for Peace & Joy at Christmas”
God of hope, who brought love into this world, be the love that dwells between us.
God of hope who brought peace into this world, be the peace that dwells between us.
God of hope, who brought joy into this world, be the joy that dwells between us.
God of hope, the rock we stand upon, be the centre, the focus of our lives always, and particularly this Advent time.
Dear Jesus, you came to show the real meaning of life. You came to bring forgiveness and healing to a broken world. By your giving of yourself even to the point of death, you save us and bring the promise of new life. May your touch and example embolden us in facing the challenge of the coronavirus. Amen.
