The Devotional Period

White Ribbon, Volume 23, Issue 9, 1 December 1951, Page 3

The Devotional Period

CHRISTMAS—BIRTHDAY OF THE SAVIOUR Reading: Matthew- 2:1-6 Text: Matthew 2:1. “1 here came W**e Men from the East." Christmas, the most joyful day in the Christian calendar, is here again, and let us remember that all our Christmas joys, all our Christmas gladness, have their beginnings in the birth of Him whose birthday anniversary w-e celebrate on Christmas Day. Christmas, or Christ Mass, celebrates "sending of Christ” to us on earth, so our thoughts once more are centred on a long-ago scene at Bethlehem when our Lord and Saviour was born and laid in a lowly manger, for there was no room in the inn.

There were other wise men that first Christmas night, besides those who travelled from the lands of the East, and these other wise men had not far to go to find the baby Jesus. They were just simple shepherds, men of the hills and countryside, chatting to each other when the angels came to them with the wonderful news of the Saviour’s birth.

"Let us go and *ee,’ was their main thought at that time. Have you ever thought what could have happened if these shepherds had stayed just where they were and had never told anybodv about the wonderful things they had heard anil seen ? Well, we would never have heard of them, and the story of the first Christmas would have been very different, and so we have to thank the other wise men of the hills for spreading the good news.

The wise men from the East had a very long journey to make to find the new King, but they had been sent on their journey by another who was afraid that his earthly kingship was to be taken from him, so the wise men from the East did not help to spread the good news in the same way as the shepherds.

Now we come to the part where—as Christians —we have a journey to make this Christmastide. There is- a road to Bethlehem for us, and we have got to get on that road. It is the road of Faith, and the message of Christmas for us, is not just something to sing about, or talk about, but it is something to be experienced in our own lives.

"You have got to go and see.’ It is pu; journey and nobody else can t ,u for us. For us to enter in and see for ourselves this wonderful life born at Bethlehem, is to step across the threshold of the Stable into a new world of new hopes, new possibilities. No Christian can look upon the Babe lying in His Manger without thinking "What does this mean for me ?’’

If Bethlehem, or Christmas, is going to mean anything for us, it must be personal. It must be an emptying of the old self, and the beginning of a new self. It is a time oi new birth given to us, and those who are wise will know that at Bethlehem it is not we who offer gifts to Jesus, but He who offers us His gift of eternal life in Himself.

This journey to Bethlehem is the only journey which can end in real happiness, it will cost us something to make the effort, but we will not be disappointed if we go all the way, because the Saviour will be there to receive us. We all need Him today, because of the events which arc hap-

pening to make us feel very troubled and uncertain, so let each of us go and find the Saviour this Christmastide, and as we stand on the threshold at Bethlehem, let us w-orship Him. May your Christmastide be full of real happiness, and may your Christian service radiate to those who are in need.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we thank Thee for all Thy blessings bestowed upon us in the pa>t, and we do ask for strength and guidance to walk in the future, as we endeavour to serve Thee. In Jesus Christ’s name we ask it. Amen.