Christmas Lights

Let’s work on preparing your heart for Christmas with this devotion by Heather Hart.

Bible Verse for Today

“For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

2 Corinthians 4:6

Devotion for Today

Preparing Your Heart for Christmas

I have always loved Christmas lights. I love the way they twinkle and add an extra aspect of beauty to the cold winter nights; lighting up the snow and shining in the night. But even with all their splendor, Christmas lights could never compare to the light of Christ.

There is so much we don’t know about the birth of Jesus. We have the details recorded in the Bible, but so many details were left out. We don’t know if it was cold or warm. We don’t know if it was dark, or if the moon shone brightly that night so long ago. But we do know about the star.

There was a star that appeared in the sky and came to rest above Jesus. Heralding the birth of the Christ child and lighting the way of the wise men. And just like the Christmas star shone brightly when He was born, Jesus is still shining a light into our lives today.

Jesus is the light of the world;[1] a light shining in the darkness.[2] And this world is full of darkness, isn’t it? Whether it’s the evil all around us, the sinful thoughts of our own hearts and minds, or some other bondage we are stuck in, we have all experienced darkness. But Jesus came to bring us light; to give us hope when we feel hopeless. That’s what Christmas is all about.

Christmas lights can never be anything more than seasonal decorations, whereas Jesus fills our hearts all year long. He lights our lives with the promise of salvation and the hope of what is yet to come. The gospel brings light into the darkness of our everyday lives in a way I never knew was possible before I met Jesus.

Related Post: What the Little Drummer Boy Teaches Us About Christmas

Jesus was born in a manger, died on a cross, rose on the third day, ascended to the right hand of the Father, and makes His home in our hearts. That’s something we can believe in. It’s the eternal beauty of Christmas.

The Christmas star shone above the manger, but the manger was just one part of the grand story of the gospel. For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.[3] Jesus came as a baby, but He died on the cross.

When Jesus hung on the cross and all hope seemed lost, darkness fell over the whole Earth. The light of the world seemed to have gone out, but Jesus wasn’t done. After three hours of darkness, He looked up to Heaven, and said, “It is finished,” then He breathed His last.[4] Jesus died on the cross, but our hope didn’t.

Knowing who Jesus is and what He has done for us lights up our lives, it puts a spark of joy in our hearts that can never be extinguished. Sure, we will still have bad days. We will still struggle to make ends meet from time to time, or to find enough hours in the day, but we can face it all because we know Jesus. We know we are never alone, and there is more than the struggles of this life.

Jesus died on the cross, but our hope didn’t. Share on X

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[1] John 8:12

[2] Isaiah 9:2

[3] John 3:16

[4] Luke 23:44; John 19:30