DEVOTIONAL
Dear Christian, as we enter the busiest time of the year—Christmas just right around the corner, the hustle and bustle of everyday life, and the gathering of gifts—may our hearts not be swept away from the real blessing, which is only found in Christ Jesus. This time of the year becomes very challenging for many families who are in different economic situations. We live in a world driven by social media and commercialism. If we are not careful, our minds will become polluted with advertisements that penetrate the very depths of our hearts. These thoughts, if not taken captive to the Word of God or put into its proper perspective, will produce intense longing desires that lead to covetousness. This should be very important to us to remember as Christians, for the enemy will use coveting desires to breed discontentment into our lives, which will lead us away from the truth of God’s word.
As ambassadors of truth—those who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit— let us not fall into this great deception. Though the enemy is a prowling lion, he sneaks in to attack his prey as a subtle serpent seeking to deceive even the elect of God. Though he cannot affect the eternal outcome of God’s children, he can strive to disqualify them in the eyes of others.
The crafty serpent does this by leading them into open abandonment of God’s Word and then displaying it for all to see. Christian be careful; it seems that during this time of year, many of God’s children become vulnerable by allowing the world to seduce them away from reflecting on the birth of Christ.
Instead, we should use these days, which secular society has set apart to honor God with self-control, being fully aware of the enticements of sin. Use your money wisely as you seek to buy gifts for your loved ones, knowing that everything that you have received has come from the Lord, as it is written, “Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good thing is given, and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.” Also, do not neglect to visit those who are lonely, to help feed those who are less fortunate, to pray for the sick, thereby fulfilling the commandment of Christ, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
As I close out this small devotional, there is one thing that stands out as far more important than all the others; Gather your family together during these holidays and tell them about the true gift which God sent two thousand years ago to a cross to save sinners such as you and me. Do not forget during this busy time that you were once a child of wrath. The nail-pierced hands of Christ reached down and delivered you from the cesspool of filth you once indulged in. He was pierced through for your transgressions; He was crushed for your iniquities; The chastening for your well-being fell upon Him; And by His scourging, you are healed. Remember, my brothers and sisters, this world is not our home, and we are not of this world. Therefore, the deepest cry of our soul is to be in heaven with our Lord. “O Lord, may thy Holy Scriptures govern every part of our lives, and regulate the discharge of all our duties, so that we may adorn thy doctrine in all things until the day we see Your face.”