December Devotion

If you cannot see images, please [click here]( [Shop CTA Products]( O Night Divine - A Free Devotion for December As we begin preparing to celebrate the birth of Christ, contemplate on this devotion and the miracle and magic of Christmas. Today's devotion is the ministry message that accompanies the O Night Divine line of products. For many children—and grown-ups, too—Christmas can be a magical time. All the lights, the decorations, the parties, the anticipation. These things set Christmas apart, make Christmas unique. For many, there’s nothing quite like Christmas. Christmas can be a truly magical time! For us as Christians, though, Christmas is even more. It’s much, much more. That “much more” comes wrapped up in the difference between the words magic and miracle. Think of it this way: Magic is anchored in illusion. The magician tricks us into thinking he has made his assistant disappear, but moments later, that assistant pops up across the stage, smiling and dressed in an entirely new costume. It’s great fun but an illusion nonetheless. The magic of Christmas is a little like that. At Christmastime, the gift wrap, the reindeer, the hot cocoa, and all the rest trick us into seeing life through a different lens; a happier lens; a kinder, gentler lens. It’s great fun! But we know, deep down, that the colored lights, the wreaths, and the tinsel on the tree can’t change the things that really need changing. Not even “Jingle Bells” can do that. Christmas magic is only an illusion. And that’s why many of us find ourselves disillusioned at the thought of having “A Holly, Jolly Christmas.” Who can blame us?! The miracle of Christmas, though, is something else altogether. Nearly two thousand years ago, the holy angels announced that miracle to a group of shepherds tending to their flocks in the fields outside the village of Bethlehem. Many of us can recite the angelic announcement without even looking it up on our phones: “Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people” (Luke 2:10). That night was truly divine. It was not magical; it was, instead, miraculous. Someone has defined a miracle as “something only God can do.” Our Savior’s birth was just that—something only a God of wisdom and power could do, something only a God of grace and love would do! How we needed that miracle! The Savior’s birth brought real hope, brought true joy to a world locked in sin and error. No human or group of humans working together could have unlocked our prison. Sin held us captive. Thinking we could free ourselves was only an illusion. The fallout of our rebellion, the meaninglessness, the anxiety, and the despair were very real. Our attempts to free ourselves failed, and they often made things even worse. Only a God of wisdom and grace could rescue us. Only God could break the chains of sin, could scatter the darkness of despair and death. And in Jesus, our heavenly Father has done just that! The Bible assures us of this overwhelming truth: “In Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them” (2 Corinthians 5:19 ESV). Jesus came to earth willingly. He came in the same divine love and mercy that motivated God the Father. We will never fully grasp the compassion that brought about our rescue. It is enormous beyond human words, too big for human understanding. This compassion is divine and miraculous, and it came to earth on that divine night centuries ago. It came, wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. It came for you! There’s only one appropriate response, of course. We fall on our knees. We hear the angelic voices, announcing the good news. We open our hearts to receive the great joy. Christ the Savior is born! © 2021 CTA, Inc. ctainc.com Permission to make photocopies or reproduce by any other mechanical or electronic means is granted and is intended for use within a church or other Christian organization, but not for resale. CTA, Inc. 1653 LARKIN WILLIAMS ROAD, FENTON, MO 63026, United States customerservice@ctainc.com This email was sent to {EMAIL} because you've subscribed on our site or made a purchase. [Unsubscribe]( | [Edit preferences](