Behold The Savior - Day 22

Today’s Devotional: Joy In Believing

Monday, December 22

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”

Romans 15:13

C.S. Lewis, the famous author and theologian, said about Christmas, “Once in our world, a stable had something in it that was bigger than our whole world.” In the Christmas story, we are introduced to a baby boy who has just been born in a stable. There’s a huge shining star in the sky. There’s a lot of cute (but smelly) animals. The baby is stretching and finding its fingers for the first time. He’s wearing swaddling cloths that his mom has prepared for him. He’s making cute baby noises. It’s really a beautiful picture that the Bible paints for us.

The message to take from this is that the God of the universe entered our world, the real world, and became a baby. This is the miracle we call the incarnation. This is what we celebrate at Christmas. God became flesh.

In the Christmas story, shepherds and wise men came to worship Jesus. Shepherds were poor, country people and had no authority. The wise men were the opposite, they were rich, influential and powerful. One day, both the poor and rich, weak and powerful, will recognize their Savior. One day all the rulers of the world will bow down. As Christians, we have Jesus living in our heart, but Jesus is not just the Lord of our hearts. He is the king of our family, the city and the nation. He is the king of the world.

For centuries, God’s people waited, watched, and prayed for redemption. We get to experience NOW the time that they longed for. To behold the Savior is to place our trust in Him. Christmas joy is not something we manufacture, but something we receive from Jesus. Paul reminds us that joy flows from believing. We marvel at the promises God has kept and the Savior He has sent. Christmas is the perfect time to start following Jesus. May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing.

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Reflection:

• How can you intentionally behold the Savior this Christmas?

• Where do you see the joy of Christ at work in your life right now?

• Reflect on the joy and peace we have in believing in Jesus.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, you are our true joy. Thank you for coming near and making yourself known to us. Help us behold you this Christmas. We rejoice in You. In Jesus’ name, amen.