Third Day of Christmas
Posted on December 27, 2018 by under
Scripture: Isaiah 32:1-8 (NKJV)
32:1 Behold, a king will reign in righteousness, and princes will rule with justice. 2 A man will be as a hiding place from the wind, and a cover from the tempest, as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.
3 The eyes of those who see will not be dim, and the ears of those who hear will listen. 4 Also the heart of the rash will understand knowledge, and the tongue of the stammerers will be ready to speak plainly. 5 The foolish person will no longer be called generous, nor the miser said to be bountiful; 6 For the foolish person will speak foolishness, and his heart will work iniquity: To practice ungodliness, to utter error against the LORD, to keep the hungry unsatisfied, and he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail. 7 Also the schemes of the schemer are evil; He devises wicked plans to destroy the poor with lying words, even when the needy speaks justice. 8 But a generous man devises generous things, and by generosity he shall stand.
Devotion
On this Third Day of Christmas we hear again the Good News of the righteousness of God. Christ our King reigns in righteousness as He guards and protects His Church, His faithful people. Though we face an onslaught from the devil, the world, and our own sinful flesh, our King continues to defend us and keep us in the true faith.
Sadly, what ought to be one of the most joyous times of the year is often met with sadness and depression. We may not feel all that merry as we may find ourselves lonely or having a heightened sense of grief over a loved one who has died. Maybe it is a matter of being estranged from a family member, or maybe having a sense of needing to please everybody, while at the same time you are miserable. Our Righteous King knows your woes. He uses such times of despair to bring you to your knees, asking for mercy and relief. Odd as it may seem, the need is another gift from God as it leads you back to your one and only Hope.
While there is nothing wrong with all the trappings of Christmas—the Christmas tree, the decorations, the presents, the family gatherings, etc.—when any or all of those things replace the One whom Christmas is all about, it is a problem. Christmas is, and always is, about Christ. All our hope and joy rests on Him and Him alone. After all, that is why we say, “Merry Christmas!”
We pray: Grant, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, that the new birth of Thine Only-Begotten Son in the flesh may set us free, who are held in the old bondage under the yoke of sin; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
