Today’s scripture: Matthew 2:1-2 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Sue Robinson):
December 25th: the day we celebrate the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
I was in my late teens when I realized that this date was not absolute. In fact, I came across many articles saying that, in all probability, it most definitely was not the date. For one thing, it is really cold in Palestine at that time of year — much to cold to ask people to travel to register for their taxes, which is why Jesus’s family was in Bethlehem. For another reason, the shepherds would not have been out in the fields with their sheep. That occurs in the Spring of the year, not the cold of December. Most likely, the date would be some other unknown time.
Does all this make a difference? I used to be greatly troubled by the thought that I might be observing a false day as Jesus’s birthday. Don’t we need to know the exact day? Any day of the year would be appropriate for remembering the birth of Jesus. In fact, every day is a new chance to be thankful of the fact that he was sent to Earth to redeem us. The spirit of love, joy, and peace on Earth that envelopes us and our society during December is a direct result of this birth.
We have chosen December 25th as the one day to concentrate our joy about His appearance. My thought in the holiday season is to hold this awesome gift of a Savior in my heart for each and every day in the following year. Please join me!
Prayer for the day: Dear heavenly Gift, thank you so much for choosing to be born here in the form of a human being. We will celebrate that wonderful present each and every day. Amen.
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the suggestions on the How to Pray page.