Heavenly Father I praise You for the whole story of Christ. From the unique birth, childhood, and ministry, to the cross, the empty tomb, the ascension, and the coming of the Holy Spirit. Help me put Christmas into perspective as my family and I enjoy this time of year. As hard as it is for me to give praise, I give praise for learning how difficult it is to lose a son, it makes me appreciate even more what it must have been like for the God of the Universe to let Jesus die on that cross in such humiliating and excruciating pain as it made the final sacrifice to reconnect man with You.
Holy Spirit when I can take a breath, sit quietly, and read the whole biblical story surrounding the birth of Christ I am often amazed and confounded by the complexity from prophecies, to angels bursting on the scene to the stupidity of humanity thinking they could outplay or smart God when Herad had all the children from birth to two killed in Bethlehem. The pain that Mary must have felt to deliver in a manger in the cold and open for all to witness. The shepherds coming to see and behold. The Maji caravan seeking the King of the Star. The angel who talked to Mary and the dream of Joseph about the pregnancy and then the warning to leave everything and go to Egypt for a period of time and then be sent back to Israel. I think what even amazes me more is the stories of Simeon and Anna who had both waited for the coming of the Messiah and what it finally meant. Two people who served quietly and diligently and were considered by the Bible to be devout, which is high praise from the word which is inspired by You. I think we get so caught up in our time we forget to truly appreciate how all this occurred right under the nose of most of the world.
Help me this season when I get irritated and feel frustrated with deadlines, business, family, and others who are trying to celebrate “Christmas” to truly take time to appreciate Christmas for what it is about. Help me to be a leader in spreading joy and the good news and offering a peace that this world does not understand. Help me to speak and act the way You desire me to do so that I can live peaceably with all people. In Jesus’ name, Amen.