Christmas is only nine days away. The season is upon us. It’s been hard for me to grasp that fact this year. Living in Florida, with much warmer temperatures than I’m used to, has made it tough to grasp the fact that Christmas is upon us. I think I’ll decorate a palm tree next year to help out with this.

But it’s here. And it’s just as crucial to remember this event as it ever was, especially in light of recent events in our nation.

This week, let’s memorize Matthew 21:1:

Our world is a tough one to live in today. Tragedy seems to be all around us. Difficulty and strife are rampant. Our world seems to be headed further and further away from God and Christ.

But, in the Old Testament, God continually uses difficult circumstances, and godless nations, to bring the Israelites back to him. What seemed to be terrible, God used for good.

And then, in a small barn near Bethlehem, a baby was born among very difficult circumstances. There was a census where everyone had to return to their family home to register. Mary was young, scared, and very pregnant. And then to top it all off, she delivered this child in a dirty barn!

Our son is due to arrive in this world on January 8th. If we were faced with having to travel back to Missouri in the next couple of weeks to register for a government census, and our son was born in the stall of a barn on the way, I can just about guarantee that the stress levels of both my wife and myself would be through the roof!

But the angel told Joseph, this child “will save his people from their sins.”

That must have given these young parents hope.

That still gives us hope, even today.

Merry Christmas!

Will you share the Christmas passages on Christmas day with your family this year? You can leave your thoughts in the comments section below.