December 23 Devotion

Read Psalm 85

Ready for Christmas

“Ready for Christmas,” she said with a sigh
As she gave the last touch to the gifts piled high…
Then wearily sat for a moment to read
Till soon, very soon, she was nodding her head.
Then quietly spoke a voice in her dream,
“Ready for Christmas, what do you mean?....”
She woke with a start and a cry of despair.
“There’s so little time and I’ve still to prepare.
Oh, Father! Forgive me, I see what you mean!
To be ready means more than a house swept cleanYes, more than the giving of gifts and a tree.
It’s the heart swept clean that he wanted to see,
A heart that is free from bitterness and sin.
So be ready for Christmas – and ready for Him.”

-- Unknown

When Christ was born in Bethlehem ,
God was with us.
When Jesus is reborn in our hearts,
God is with us.
When we face the challenges of each day,
God is with us.
As we look forward to a new year,
God is certainly with us.

--Dayspring Collection

Christmas Prayer

Loving Father, help us remember the birth of Jesus, that we may share in the song of angels, the gladness of the shepherds, and the worship of the wise men. Close the door of hate and open the door of love all over the world. Let kindness come with every gift and good desires with every greeting. Deliver us from evil by the blessing which Christ brings and teach us to be merry and clear hearts. May the Christmas morning make us happy to be Thy children, and the Christmas evening bring us to our beds with grateful thoughts, forgiving and forgiven, for Jesus’ sake! Amen

--Robert Louis Stevenson

Melanie Herr