Christmas Archives

Fulfilling Simeon’s and Anna’s Waiting

While Janet takes a break from blog writing for the holidays, we hope you will enjoy an excerpt from her latest Advent devotional over the next few weeks. If you haven’t yet ordered your copy of Waiting for Christmas, we still have a few copies available. Order your copy here.

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Fulfilling Simeon’s and Anna’s Waiting

Entry from December 17

The stories of Simeon and Anna are two of the best glimpses into the joy that so many missed in the first century. The shepherds knew the Messiah had been born. So did Simeon and Anna, two faithful people who were in the temple the day Joseph and Mary arrived.

Luke wrote, “there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him” (Luke 2:25). The “consolation of Israel” was Jesus, the Messiah. Luke said, “it had been revealed to him [Simeon] by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ” (Luke 2:26).

Simeon might have been one of the priests who served at the temple in Jerusalem, because Luke points out, “When the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, ‘Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel’” (Luke 2:27–32).

Simeon may have served in the temple for many years, each day watching for his Messiah. The Holy Spirit had promised him he would not die before seeing him, and then one day the Holy Spirit said, “Here I am.” Was Simeon expecting a baby? We can’t know for certain, but we do know that he recognized the holy presence in the baby Mary and Joseph had brought to the temple. Simeon rejoiced, knowing his Messiah had arrived, and he understood that the small baby in his arms would accomplish great things for God’s kingdom. Scripture tells us that Mary and Joseph marveled at what was said about their newborn Son.

Simeon blessed the holy family that day, saying to Mary, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that the thoughts from many hearts may be revealed” (Luke 2:34–35). Years later, Mary would probably think of those words as she knelt at the foot of the cross and grieved for her son, the Messiah.

Luke also shared the story of Anna, “a prophetess.” We know she was “advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day” (Luke 2:36–37). Anna had spent the majority of her adult life living and serving in the temple. She came up to Simeon while he was holding Jesus that day and sharing his words of faith, and she affirmed all he said when she “began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem” (Luke 2:38).
Simeon and Anna recognized Jesus was the Messiah they had been waiting a lifetime for. Their faith enabled them to hear the Holy Spirit say, “This is him.” Who do you know that is still waiting to meet Jesus and receive their Messiah? Pray for the chance to share the best news of Christmas. The baby in the manger was born to be their Savior too.

Yearning to be One with God and with One Another

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Yearning to be One with God and with One Another

Entry from December 10

Christmas movies often show large families gathering to spend the Christmas Day celebration together. There is always plenty of food that is spread out for all to feast on, gifts that are opened with excitement and gratitude, and plenty of smiles and joy for the day.

Christmas movies don’t usually reflect the actual realities of Christmas. Someone had to shop for, pay for, haul home, put away, and eventually cook up all those groceries to make the meal. Some gifts are winners and others are not. Fairly often there are family members who have to put forth great effort to travel somewhere for Christmas. Every year the evening news shows families stranded on the road because of bad weather or having to spend part of their Christmas holiday waiting in an airport. There is someone who is really tired from all that time in the kitchen. There is someone who is cranky after a rough trip. And there is that someone in the crowd who tends to bring up politics, past mistakes, or something else that brings a cloud to the room. It isn’t always joy and fa-la-la.

Every now and then we experience a “Hallmark Christmas,” but most of our holidays have a bit of comedy and/or drama. That just means it’s an authentic Christmas, with real people, and a real family. As the saying goes, “Life is messy.” It always has been.

When you look at the list of characters in the Christmas story, you see normal people, living their normal lives, who were joined together by God through extraordinary experiences.

Joseph and Mary made a very difficult trip to Bethlehem.
Mary gave birth in a stable because there was no room in the inn.
The shepherds were busy all day, every day, tending their sheep.
Every pilgrim to Bethlehem had meals to prepare and chores to complete.
And poor Mary had a sleepless newborn baby to feed, clothe, and keep warm.

Then the heavens were filled with God’s glory. The angels spoke and the Messiah was announced. The shepherds laid their daily chores aside so they could go see the baby the angels had announced. Mary and Joseph might have been awakened or at least interrupted by the shepherds’ arrival. Many of the people in Bethlehem missed the Christmas miracles because they were trying to get in line, take care of the census, and just get back home.

The Christmas holiday is almost always a gathering of people with different ideas, agendas, priorities, and personalities. The unity and the joy of the holiday are witnessed as all these different people come together to celebrate the one baby King they all worship.

Some will wait all month for the celebration on December 25, and the day may disappoint. Some will miss the joy of Christmas because of earthly realities. Our job as Christians should be to follow the shepherds’ lead and take the time to pursue Jesus each day until we find him. Other things in this busy holiday season matter, but seeking Jesus will always matter most.

Waiting for the Peace of God

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Waiting for the Peace of God

Entry from December 3

The shepherds were in the field when a host of angels appeared praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” (Luke 2:14). Peace and joy are important themes in our Christmas story.

During their four hundred years of waiting for the Messiah, the Jewish people yearned and prayed for peace. It was a difficult time in Israel under the Greco-Roman rulers. Some of the most difficult years occurred about halfway through the intertestamental period. According to the Museum of the Bible’s website,

“It was 167 BC, Mattathias the Hasmonean was a Jew and he was furious. The king who reigned over the region had sent his officers to Mattathias’s hometown in Judea. The officers were trying to force Mattathias, his five sons, and their neighbors to perform sacrifices to their gods. When another Jew stepped forward to make the sacrifice, Mattathias killed him on the altar. The king’s officer was next. Finally, Mattathias tore down the altar. The Hasmonean Revolt was born. Over a century earlier, Hellenistic forces had taken control of Judea and forced their culture and religion upon the people. According to the first book of Maccabees, one of the Hellenistic kings defiled the temple, forbade circumcision, and even set up altars to his gods. Some Jews went along with the changes. Others, like Mattathias, fought to remain faithful to the Law. The revolt is also known by the name Maccabee, after the most renowned of Mattathias’s sons, Judah the Maccabee (which means “Judah the hammer”). When Mattathias died, two years into the revolt, his sons carried on. In the end, the Maccabees recaptured Jerusalem and regained their freedom. The festival of Hanukkah celebrates the restoration of the temple. The family of Mattathias and Judah ruled until the rise of the Herods in 63 BC. The Maccabean revolt was seared into Jewish memory. It shaped the way first-century Jews thought about foreign powers and faithfulness to the Law (“The Story of the Maccabees,” Museum of the Bible, accessed June 27, 2025).”

While we celebrate the Messiah’s birth, many will celebrate the victory that Hanukkah recalls instead. Peace during the Christmas season is an important aim, but true peace isn’t found in the absence of troubles. God’s peace is experienced through the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Jesus spoke to his disciples saying, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (John 14:27).

When the birth of Jesus was announced to the shepherds, the angels praised God, announcing his peace to those with whom God was pleased. The peace of Christmas is the peace of Christ that transcends the troubles of this world. Who do you know that needs the peace of Jesus this Christmas season?

Let’s pray for his peace to permeate our holiday with his joy and purpose. God has always fought for his children so they could live their best lives. His goal is to give us the peace that Jesus was born to provide. May this be a peace-filled day of great joy because you spend it faithfully, protected and loved through the holy presence of Christ.

You are a chosen believer

The Bible teaches us to “humble ourselves,” yet it also teaches us that we have been “chosen” by the Creator of the world to be his children. It’s hard to be humble when we realize who our Father is! That’s why God sent us his Son. Of all the character qualities of Christ, his humility is the most profound.

Jesus stepped away from his throne in heaven to become a helpless infant, born in a cave to impoverished parents. The Son of God worked long days as a carpenter and then became a homeless prophet. He washed the feet of his disciples and then forgave them when all but John chose not to watch him suffer on a cross for their sins.

Yet Paul told the Ephesian church, “Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will” (Ephesians 1:4–5).

We are about to enter another holiday season. How do we live these next weeks for the glory of the One who chose us to be his own? You are a chosen believer. How best can you serve your King?

Did God choose us or did we choose him?

Jesus told his disciples, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you” (John 15:16).

I don’t have a degree in theology, but I’m married to someone I often refer to as my “live-in commentary.” I’ve heard him have the predestination conversation with other theologians. You can put these people in a room, and after each one speaks, it’s easy to see his or her point.

Jesus told his disciples, “You did not choose me, but I chose you.” Did he choose us, or did he choose us to become his disciples after we chose him? Those conversations are debates that I don’t really want to get involved with. I think the point is a practical one. When we get to heaven, the people that God has chosen will be there with us. For those of us who are Christians, we are now part of the chosen race, and we can know that God has chosen us to fulfill a purpose here on earth.

For what purpose did God choose you to be his child?

Different gifts, one purpose

Who are we in Christ Jesus, and what were we chosen to accomplish with our earthly lives?

Peter wrote to the first-century Christians and said, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9). Peter’s audience for this letter is uncertain. His readers could have been Christians who had been Jewish, having stepped from the Old Covenant relationship with God into the New Covenant established by Christ. But his audience could also have been Gentile believers who had come to know that they were now the “chosen race” of God. There has been considerable debate over the recipients of Peter’s letter, but the practical implications remain the same.

If we are Christians, in the first century or today, we can know this about ourselves: We were chosen by God to be his people. We need to see ourselves as:

A royal priesthood appointed to carry the gospel message so others can be right with God.
A holy nation of people who live with God’s biblical priorities.
A people whose first identity is as the adopted children of God, his heirs.
A people chosen and gifted by his Spirit to tell others about the excellencies of Christ.
A people who each live with the light of Christ and encourage others to live that way too.

When we view the Bible as a practical book of instruction from the apostles, theological debates take a secondary role. We can look at the standards Peter set for the chosen people of God, and we can see that those standards have always been his goal for his children.

God told the people of the Old Testament to “be holy because I’m holy” (Leviticus 19:2). Peter told Christians that God still has those same standards for the children of the New Covenant. Many, if not most, of the Old Testament children had come to define “chosen” as better than others. God never intended that. The “chosen” of the Old Testament were supposed to live with God’s blessings, his word, and his purpose. Their blessed lives were intended to demonstrate to the world that their God was the Creator of the universe. Instead, they used God’s commands to be separate from the world to cause them to feel better than others. They didn’t live as an example; they lived as if they were superior.

So, God gave the world Jesus so that everyone who believed could be saved. There was never a time when God’s love was only for his children. The Old Covenant became the New Covenant so that everyone would understand what God wanted for this world.

Interestingly, the principles above are just as valid today as they were when they were written.

You are a chosen believer

We are entering the holiday season, and Peter’s teachings remain a valuable message for the days ahead.

If we walk through each day of this season with God’s priorities, we will see ourselves first and foremost as his child who has a divine kingdom purpose.

Live as if you truly understand what Thanksgiving and Christmas are about. Remember that you have been gifted through the Holy Spirit of Christ for every conversation and circumstance that comes your way. God has a way of introducing “appointments” in our lives so that others can hear a word from God. It takes about seven touches for people to finally admit that they sense God at work. You might be the second touch or the seventh in God’s divine plan. Our job is simply to recognize the opportunity to be the person of Christ in someone’s life, through the Holy Spirit.

This is a great week to commit your holiday season to the work of Christ. I hope we sit in our homes on New Year’s Day, grateful for the fact that God used our lives during the holidays to serve his kingdom purpose.

You are a chosen believer. Let’s be grateful and prayerful servants in these coming weeks. God will honor our prayers and our priorities.

Is America asking for Jesus this Christmas?

Most of us work hard to give Christmas gifts that others will want. I hope the gifts under my own Christmas tree will give joy and happiness to the people I love. I love the Lord and what the Christmas holiday represents for his children. I’m sad for the people who try to celebrate Christmas without the indwelling joy of Christ. If I could give a gift to America, I would give the gift God chose to give that first Christmas.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

Jesus is the most valuable Christmas gift ever given, a gift all of us can freely give. The only catch is that we must receive the gift ourselves before giving it away.

A recent article that Christians should know about

The Wall Street Journal published an important article on December 1 of this year. The article was titled Sales of Bibles Are Booming, Fueled by First-Time Buyers and New Versions.

The article stated that “Bible sales are up 22% in the U.S. through the end of October, compared with the same period last year, according to book tracker Circana BookScan.” I founded and now serve the Foundations brand of the Denison Ministries. This brand is focused on teaching biblical truth and helping others to learn how to study and apply God’s word to their lives. Needless to say, the Wall Street Journal article caught my eye!

The article quoted Jeff Crosby, president of the Christian Publishers Association, who explained the increase in Bible sales, saying, “People are experiencing anxiety themselves, or they’re worried for their children and grandchildren. It’s related to artificial intelligence, election cycles…and all of that feeds a desire for assurance that we’re going to be OK.” The article also stated, “The demand for Bibles is rising despite evidence that the country is growing increasingly secularized.”

Is the country growing increasingly secularized, or are America’s citizens increasingly coming to realize they need God?

What causes people to seek God’s word?

America has been through a season of stress this past year. Regardless of which side you take in our political system, this year’s election campaigns were filled with angst, threats of disaster, and a sense that if your candidate didn’t win, the future looked disastrous. Americans have learned to question and doubt the news reports we see on television.

Are Americans looking for truth in the midst of doubts and stress? The Bible is known as a book of truth. Jesus described himself as “the way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6).

Last September, we watched the news footage of the horrible storms that hit places like North Carolina. A U.S. News article said, “The Carolinas braced for a storm that forecasters warned could bring heavy rain — as much as 6 to 8 inches in some spots. But one narrow band got a ‘firehose’ that dumped as much as 20 inches in a so-called 1,000-year flood that shocked many with its intensity.” Psalm 107:28 says, “Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.”

Some television news reported that people weren’t getting the help they needed, and other stations reported all that would be done to care for people, many of whom had lost everything they owned and someone or something they loved. While the reporters were arguing about the truth, groups like The Samaritan’s Purse jumped in to be the truth and bring immediate, much-needed help. Compassion for people in need led to increased funds that were used, and are still being used, to help America’s citizens physically and spiritually. I don’t think we can overestimate Franklin Graham’s influence on our nation as he spoke God’s truth on our national news programs.

The election sent a clear message to everyone on both sides of the political war, as did the news footage about the terrible storm. Anyone who watched the news wanted something different because the people of our country deserve the help they need. Christians understand the government will never provide for a person’s greatest need. That is the real purpose of this blog post.

Christians know what America needs most this Christmas

Increased Bible sales point to an increased interest in God’s message to the world. When people realize they need truth, they look for truth. It’s our job as Christians to be watchful and ready to help them find the biblical truth that Jesus was born to provide.

The baby in the manger was and is God Incarnate. He was and is Immanuel, God with us. I like the way William Barclay described Jesus. He said, “God was always like Jesus.” I’ve often said that the baby in the manger was God, with skin on him. People often struggle to understand the God of the Old Testament. They simply need to understand that God has always been the Jesus they see in the New Testament.

Our country has bought a lot more Bibles this year, but will they read them? Will the average American understand the rich, eternal teaching of the words they are reading? Will they read the word of God and then live with biblical choices?

God’s word is powerful truth, but that truth is more likely gained through study, not simply reading. That’s why I wanted to start the Foundations brand at Denison Ministries. Before I ever owned the promise of my salvation in Christ, I owned a few Bibles. God’s word is written to help people know God. God’s creation speaks to his reality every moment of every day. Paul said God’s “invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made” (Romans 1:20). Paul goes on to say that’s why people are “without excuse” for not knowing there is a God.

If you read this blog post, you probably know that God exists, and you probably want to know God as well as you possibly can. Sanctification requires a willing heart and careful study of God’s word. Even Paul said, “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (Philippians 3:8).

My “end of year” request

Christmas and New Year’s Day fall on Wednesdays this year. This blog post is the last lengthy post I will write this year. I believe America is seeking to know the God whom the apostle Paul wanted to know and the Lord Jesus whom God gave to a world he so loved more than two thousand years ago. I pray all of us will look for the chance to give the gift that matters most this Christmas and continue to give that gift throughout the new year to come.

It’s difficult to know what we should expect in 2025, but every Christian should look at the increase in Bible sales and recognize the felt need in our country today. We can all share the gospel message with the people God brings across our path. Will you “count everything as loss” compared to the “surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus” as Lord?

I promise to commit our work at the Foundations ministry for that very purpose. I’ll send some wishes in the next two weeks, but this week, I wanted to answer my own question and say, “Yes, America is asking for Jesus this Christmas.” We at the Foundations brand want to help people know that the baby in the manger was the God of the universe and still is today.

We would be truly grateful if you helped us continue to help others know Jesus and study biblical truth. Thank you for caring, giving, and helping us provide God’s word of truth to the people of this world.

Two weeks before Bethlehem

Christmas is two weeks away. The Christmas season is about a week shorter this year because of a late Thanksgiving. Unlike the Thursday for Thanksgiving, Christmas is always celebrated on December 25, regardless of the day. I’ve never heard anyone say, “Maybe we should move Christmas back a week this year.” I’ve never heard anyone say, “We should celebrate Christmas on a Saturday or in the spring this year.”

The Christmas season has become a retail calendar with Black Friday sales that last a month. Christmas is about warm clothes, warm fires, snowflakes, candy canes, Christmas lights, and an ever-increasing number of inflatables. None of that sounds like something we should celebrate in the spring. Texans can’t even imagine snowflakes in the spring and with our winds the inflatables would be at least five houses down the road. I think the December 25 date is unchangeable in our culture, at least for now.

What were Mary and Joseph doing two weeks before Bethlehem?

Much of our time is measured by our clocks and calendars. Mary and Joseph had a deadline, too, that first Christmas. The Roman government had set a time for the census, and it didn’t matter that Mary was expecting her baby any day. The trip to Bethlehem was about 90 miles, and Mary and Joseph had to plan for all the possibilities.

Nothing is ever said in Scripture about Mary’s family. I know times were different in the first century, but some things are common to every generation. If Mary’s mom were still alive, she would have been concerned about her young daughter making that trip. She would have wanted to make sure she had packed everything she might need for the trip, the baby’s birth, and the extra time and supplies it would take her to travel those ninety miles.

If all the planning was Joseph’s responsibility, I imagine he was getting a ton of advice from the women of Nazareth about carefully planning for all possibilities. The two weeks before Christmas were tough for Mary and Joseph. It kind of puts all of our Christmas preparations in perspective, doesn’t it?

Is it time to make some adjustments to your Christmas plans?

Do the weather reports indicate that Christmas travel might mean spending the holiday in an airport or hotel this year? Is there someone you can’t or shouldn’t leave behind? Has your life become a little too busy and stressed because it is only fourteen days until Christmas?

Are the kids too focused on gifts and not focused enough on school? Are we too focused on the calendar instead of Christ? It happens every year until we decide to change the way we celebrate the birth of Jesus.

When Satan can’t have your soul, he settles for your time. When he can’t make you bad, he tries to make you busy. When your eternity belongs to God, Satan will settle for influencing your time on earth.

I wrote about Mary and Martha last week. Have you become worried and anxious about many things? If so, choose to delete a few things so you can sit quietly at the manger and spend time with the best part of Christmas.

Two weeks became two years or more

Joseph and Mary would have packed plenty of supplies and carried all their money. They would have done their best to stay with others in a group, but there’s a good chance Mary’s pregnancy slowed them down. It isn’t surprising that they arrived in Bethlehem and found there was “no room in the inn.”

Joseph and Mary’s plans were made with care but not with certainty. That young and newly married couple had no way of knowing that they would not return to their home in Nazareth for more than two years. They would not have packed or planned for the months they remained in Bethlehem or their future escape to Egypt.

Jeremiah 29:11 is a well-known, often-quoted verse. God told the prophet, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11). Joseph and Mary were faithful, righteous children of God. They would have been aware of the uncertainties but also known to trust God’s promises.

The rest of God’s message for Mary and Joseph

Mary and Joseph had both experienced the miraculous, and their faith and trust in God would have been strengthened as a result. Two weeks before Bethlehem, their knowledge of God’s promise to Jeremiah would have comforted their thoughts.

God had promised Jeremiah that his plans were for his children’s good, not their harm. The rest of God’s message to Jeremiah was just as important as the words found in verse 11. God also said, “Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile” (Jeremiah 29:13–14).

I wonder if Joseph and Mary talked about those words as they fled in the night toward Egypt, praying for their safety and the safety of their infant son. I wonder if Mary and Joseph were able to get word to their families and friends back in Nazareth.

Times were so different in the first century, yet the things that matter most apply to every generation.

It’s two weeks until “Bethlehem”

What plans have you made that need to be adjusted to choose God’s plan for your Christmas? His plan is to prosper you, not to harm you. His plan is best for your hope and your future. He has promised to hear you when you pray. He has promised to come to you and provide what you need. He has promised to anticipate the needs you don’t even know to pray for today.

Mary and Joseph fled to Egypt with gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Those gifts from the magi were essentially the provision they needed to travel and live in a foreign country until it was safe to come home.

God knows what you need today for the Christmas you will celebrate in two weeks. Are you having the “Mary Christmas” we talked about last week, or is the Martha within trying to take over?

I hope you will plan to sit at the feet of Jesus and trust the God who always provides for his kids. His plan for your Christmas is best. Do you need to be still and invite him to come and provide it?

Call on him in prayer, then trust that the baby in the manger has listened.

Wishing you a Mary Christmas

Thanksgiving came late this year, so it feels like Christmas is just around the corner. Between grocery shopping, cooking, and enjoying our crowd last week, I was late getting to this blog post. I prayed for the Lord to give me his thoughts as we drove to church.

Traffic was low, and we arrived early. I struck up a conversation with a woman who mentioned a really good Christmas message she had heard once. The speaker talked about having a “Mary” Christmas instead of a “Martha” holiday. The wheels started turning, and I realized I needed these thoughts today, so maybe you do, too!

I want all of us to have a “Mary” Christmas in this “Martha” world!

Is this a Mary or Martha kind of week?

Typically, when Thanksgiving runs late in November, the next week is crazy busy. School is out in just a few weeks. Travel plans, shopping, parties, Christmas cards, and all the other details start piling up. Those are all good things, but sometimes they come at the expense of the better things.

You know the story. Martha was in the kitchen trying to figure out how to feed the extra mouth that had been added to the table. She had probably planned to serve leftovers; now, the company required a better meal and more effort. Luke tells the now-familiar story:

“Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:38–42).

How do we, like Mary, choose the “good portion” this Christmas season?

Are you distracted with much serving?

Consider yet another Mary. This was a favorite verse among our church staff:

Mary had a little lamb who would have been a sheep.

But she joined the local megachurch and died from lack of sleep.

It’s so easy to get overbooked with the good things of the Christmas season that sometimes we can miss the moments spent at the Lord’s feet. How do we balance the need to serve with our need to worship?

Answer: Make sure you spend time at the Lord’s feet before you head out to serve.

This one thought could make a big difference in our Christmas season. We are going to attend parties. We are going to give gifts. We are going to see friends, enjoy conversations, and do a LOT of planning and preparations. We can do all those things with a Martha attitude or a Mary perspective.

Martha was “troubled and anxious about many things.” So, what did Jesus tell her?

Only one thing is necessary

If Martha had understood what mattered most to Jesus, she would have worried less about what to serve. Jesus would have preferred to eat leftovers if it meant he would have the chance to speak a word of spiritual encouragement to a friend.

The food will be consumed, the dishes will be washed, and the next meal will soon happen. The gifts will be purchased, wrapped, and then put away or used until broken, worn out, or set aside. Almost everything about our Christmas season is only for a season.

The “one thing” that is “necessary” is the One whose priorities have eternal outcomes.

The one thing is the One

Mary chose the “good portion” because she chose to make Jesus her priority.

Every day of the Christmas season should require a cup of coffee, tea, or cocoa by the fire at the feet of Jesus. Scripture says, “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). I usually teach that verse saying, “Be still and know he is God. If we don’t get still, other things become gods.” Christmas is a season that will simply come and go unless we use the season to serve Jesus as we serve others.

How does Jesus want to spend time with you as you serve others this Christmas season?

As you wrap a gift, pray for the person who will receive it.
As you cook a meal, pray for the conversations you can have around the table.
As you prepare for a party, ask the Lord for the chance to be a spiritual encouragement to someone there.
As you shop, pray for and then seek the opportunity to shop for someone who can’t shop for themselves.
Instead of storing leftovers, consider taking them to an elderly neighbor.
As you drive or stand in line, let someone who is rushed get ahead of you.
As you give, pray for the opportunity to give Jesus too.

The “one thing that is necessary” is time with the One who calls you to his feet. We need to know what Jesus wants to do in our lives this Christmas. We need to know how we can best serve him and impact others during this holiday season.

Will you have a Mary Christmas or a Martha Christmas?

That’s an easier question to answer than to live.

Things need to be accomplished, but we will do them differently if we spend some time at the feet of Jesus first. People need to be helped, thought about, and prayed for. The Martha moments will mean we are troubled and anxious about many things. The Mary moments will be spent with an ear toward Jesus, doing our tasks with his spiritual priorities in our hearts and minds.

Christians who choose to have a Mary Christmas will have a merry Christmas. We need only to choose the “good portion” that will “not be taken away.” The priorities of Jesus have an eternal purpose.

Will you choose to serve the One, the Christ of Christmas, this Christmas season?

The gift Jesus gave his mom

Jesus didn’t celebrate Christmas, and neither did the early Christians. Jesus wasn’t born in the winter either. There are several theories as to why we celebrate Christmas on December 25, but the most common belief dates the holiday back to the third century.

The Roman Empire marked the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, by celebrating the “rebirth” of the Unconquered Sun (Sol Invictus) on December 25. People feasted, exchanged gifts, and celebrated the birthday of a deity called Mithra, a god of light and loyalty.

The church in Rome began formally celebrating the birth of Christ on December 25 in 336 AD. Rome was ruled by the emperor Constantine, whose mother was a strong Christian. It is believed that Constantine hoped to distract Rome’s citizens from the pagan celebration on that same day. Constantine’s efforts were not widely accepted, and Christmas did not become a major Christian holiday until the ninth century.

How did Jesus celebrate his birthday?

There is an easy answer to that question: he didn’t. Jesus was likely born in the spring, but birthdays weren’t remembered or celebrated by the Jewish people. There was one spring, however, when Jesus gave others, including his mom Mary, gifts for his birthday.

Jesus had been crucified and was near death on the cross when he uttered the words, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). I’ve often heard that those words mark the moment when Jesus took on the sins of the world, our sins, and as a result experienced separation from his heavenly Father. But, I also like to consider those words as a gift of hope for his mother Mary and encouragement for his best friend John.

Matthew 27:46 is a direct quote from the first words in the twenty-second psalm, a psalm of David. David’s psalms would have been memorized and sung by the Jewish people of the first century. Jesus would have known this psalm very well. We know Mary and John were at the cross because Jesus instructed John to care for his mother. It is a safe assumption to think that both Mary and John were deeply grieving all they were witnessing. Jesus loved these two people and, even in his own pain, would have felt theirs as well.

So, Jesus gave his mom and his best friend a gift on the cross. He said, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani,” the first line of a well-known psalm. Jesus knew his beloved mom and friend would know the rest of that favorite psalm of King David.

The gift Jesus gave

If you have time, read all of Psalm 22 with this perspective. Consider what these words would have meant to the two people who were sitting at the foot of the cross. Jesus knew he was about to die and gave the gift of hope to these two people he cared about. Psalm 22 is a reminder that God delivers his people and can always be trusted, even in the most difficult of times.

I like to picture Mary reciting that psalm to herself in the days that followed Jesus’ death. What did she feel when she came to the words, “Yet you are he who took me from the womb; you made me trust you at my mother’s breasts. On you was I cast from my birth, and from my mother’s womb you have been my God” (Psalm 22:9–10)? Had Jesus thanked Mary from the cross for all she had done to give him life and raise him in the knowledge of God?

I like to picture John as he remembered the psalm Jesus quoted from the cross. How did John feel when he considered the words at the end of the psalm? David’s psalm begins with the words Jesus cried out to Mary and John, but the final stanza of the psalm says, “All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, even the one who could not keep himself alive. Posterity shall serve him; it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation; they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn, that he has done it” (Psalm 22:29–31).

The gift Jesus gave his mom from the cross was the gift of hope and the gift of knowing that both of them had fulfilled their highest purpose on earth. Mary gave birth to Israel’s Messiah.

John had been called to be a follower of Jesus and would ultimately suffer for preaching the gospel. Yet John understood the “rest of the story” could be found in the final words of Psalm 22. “Posterity shall serve him” and “they shall proclaim his righteousness” to all people.

How would Jesus celebrate Christmas?

This is a big, busy, important week of the year. In the busyness let’s remember why we celebrate. Jesus celebrated the season of his birth by accepting a cross for the sins of the world. Jesus gave the gifts of love and hope to those at the cross. Jesus gave Mary and John, and maybe himself, the gift of encouragement as well. There is no greater joy for a child of God than to be blessed and rewarded for fulfilling our eternal, kingdom purpose.

Jesus celebrated the season of his birth by gifting the world with his perfect sacrifice for every sin and the promise of eternal life. We who have received the gift of Christ have received everything Jesus was born to give.

Merry Christmas!

I hope you have a blessed and merry Christmas this year, filled with the joy and laughter of those you love. It is fun to give and fun to receive—but let’s remember to honor the One who gave everything so that we can celebrate with the hope of an eternity filled with everlasting joy, peace, and comfort.

Merry Christmas to all of you, and blessings for the coming year!

Scheduling Christmas with God

I’m not sure I ever told you all this, but I do most of my writing in the early hours of the day. I’ve always been an early riser and during the Christmas season that is especially true. I even have the timer on the Christmas tree set to come on twice a day, at 5 a.m. and 5 p.m. If my fireplace had a timer, I’d probably set that on the same schedule.

I love the lights of Christmas, but I love them the most in the early morning hours.

I might have been a psalmist

I often wake up thinking about the Lord . . . (and coffee.) I love that the lights on my Christmas tree light the way to the kitchen and the coffee pot. My computer enables me to read Scripture and prayer lists and to write blog posts while I sit in the darkness and enjoy the beauty of the Christmas lights. For me, these moments are a favorite celebration of the holiday.

The Bible says quite a bit about the morning hours and the importance of using the morning to start our day with God. We are supposed to walk through our day with him, but that’s easier to do if we share the first part of the day at his feet. Jesus got up early in the morning to spend time with his Father. He is the perfect example of how we should begin our days too.

The psalmists said a lot about seeking God in the morning. I am typing this blog post in the early darkness of the morning while enjoying their ancient wisdom for keeping life filled with God. As this Christmas season begins, let’s allow their wisdom to touch our lives and holiday season this year.

God is our audience of One

Psalm 5:3 says, “O Lᴏʀᴅ, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.” The quiet beauty of morning is the perfect time to talk to God. The Creator God of the universe is listening to you—right now.

What amount of time and attention will you give to your Father this morning? What activity can wait until you have spoken to him? We will likely sacrifice a few of our plans for the day if we ask God to plan the day for us.

Your Christmas season will be different if you will give God your voice in the morning, prepare to listen, and then watch for his answers throughout the day.

Trust God to lift you up

Sometimes I wake up thinking about a long list of activities for the day. One of my favorite things about growing older is that more and more of my schedule is optional. I well remember the rush of keeping kids on their schedules while planning the rest of my life around theirs.

Those were great days, but there is a serenity to these days that is pure joy too. The great goal for this Christmas season is to live it on God’s schedule. Psalm 143:8 says, “Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.”

People will always matter more than plans. People sometimes fit into our schedule, and sometimes they will need to interrupt it. We can trust God to guide us and strengthen us to serve him by serving others.

Every morning’s sunrise is a reminder of God’s steadfast love. He has given us another day, and he has a trustworthy plan for how we can live it well. How can we carefully walk his plan for today?

We hear from him in the morning, and we trust his voice, his word. It is to God we lift up our souls. God wants to do more than direct our activity. He wants to provide for our joy and our strength and give us his love and compassion for others.

This Christmas season will be different if we lift up our souls to God and trust him to fill us with his goodness.

We can be satisfied with God

The Christmas season can pull and tug us in many different directions. There have been some holiday seasons that lacked the genuine Christmas joy. So much of our expectations and wishes for the holiday are authored by movies, social media, and the lives of others. The genuine joy of Christmas will come from the moments you spend with Christ and the moments you spend serving others in his name.

In the early morning, it is only about your relationship with the Lord. The psalmist wrote, “Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days” (Psalm 90:14). The joy and beauty of the season are in the genuine celebrations of his blessings.

God will satisfy us this Christmas season with his love. We need only give him our worship. His “steadfast love” will be the joy of each day and our great blessing for the holiday.

Joy comes in the morning

Psalm 30:5 is rarely quoted fully yet is a perfect message for us to begin our Christmas season considering. We often hear the phrase “joy comes with the morning” but rarely do we hear why that matters.

No Christmas season is perfect. No Christmas season is lived in a flawless fashion. We are human beings surrounded by other human beings. Traffic is tough. People are edgy and rushed. Gifts are sometimes hard to come by and difficult to afford.

Some parties are fun while others are an obligation. Sometimes the lights on the tree stop glowing and need a new bulb to work again. There will be a few moments this Christmas season that don’t inspire the “fa la la” in us! Sometimes anger is justified, but often it is simply a natural, human response to stressful situations. It’s then our goal to return to a right relationship with God.

Psalm 30:5 is our gift of wisdom for those times. God’s anger is always righteous, but his example is the perfect one for us to follow as well. The psalmist wrote, “For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning” (Psalm 30:5). God doesn’t hold onto his anger, and we shouldn’t either. We can seek God’s favor, knowing it is our promised gift of Christmas.

Let’s schedule this Christmas with God

Each new morning is a chance to sit with our audience of One and seek his voice. We can trust our heavenly Father to forgive our mistakes and lift us up for the new day. We can count our blessings and be satisfied with the genuine joy of the Lord each day. We can rush through a day or two and trust that the Lord will guide us back to a quiet morning with him.

Joy comes in the morning. Will you give your Christmas mornings to the One who authors our joy? Will you do the same tomorrow?

A Christmas gift

Christmas is almost here.

Even as I type, I am picturing my blog readers doing so many different things.

Maybe you are sitting in an airport waiting for your flight.

Maybe you are checking emails right before you start completing the to-do list for the day.

Maybe you are remembering past Christmas seasons and wishing this one was more like those.

Whatever your day and your Christmas look like this year, you can know that I pray your Christmas day will be filled with the holy Presence of Christ.

A gift for you

I would like to give you a Christmas gift that I, and several of us at the ministry, have been working on.

When you have a moment, I want you to go to the App Store on your cell phone and download my gift to you: the new (and free) Foundations Bible app!

My Christmas gift to you is something that will last all year and is called Wisdom Matters.

The readings don’t officially begin until January 1, but I wanted my readers to have advanced notice!

What is Wisdom Matters?

I did some checking and found that almost everyone checks their phone at night before going to bed. Wisdom Matters is an evening devotional I would love for you to have at the end of each day.

In fact, the “tagline” says, “At the end of the day . . . Wisdom Matters.”

God called me to write and record Wisdom Matters because we need to end our days going to sleep with an important thought about God. Wisdom Matters is a devotional written to help us know God at deeper levels by offering us a meditation from his word each evening.

In many ways, writing these devotions has been a blessing for me. On a personal level, this year has been intense, and dwelling on the timeless wisdom and truth of God’s word has been therapeutic. I was fascinated as I wrote how absolutely relevant God’s word remains thousands of years later. Wisdom matters most because it is timeless, God-authored truth.

We don’t lack “words” in our world, and information is always one “google” away. But how do we process the information we learn? Do facts alone drive our decisions, or does God have a higher plan?

I have often said, “In a sea of information, wisdom matters.”

I want you, my readers, to know about Wisdom Matters first. Please receive this gift from me this Christmas.

Beginning January 1, a new devotion will arrive on your phone around 8 p.m. CST, and maybe you can get in the habit of making God’s word part of your final thoughts for the day.

I believe he will speak his thoughts and even author a dream or two if you do. He has certainly been speaking to my heart as I write these!

I wish you a blessed and Merry Christmas

Whatever your Christmas season looks like this year, know that I, and all of us who serve the Foundations ministry, want to wish you a joy-filled and Christ-centered Christmas. Jesus truly is the most wonderful gift we could ever receive!

James 1:17 reminds us that “every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”

“Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15).

We truly wish you a blessed and merry Christmas!