Christian Reflection and Prayer

By Rev. Wayne Palmer

Read Luke 1:18

TEXT: "How shall I know this?" (Luke 1:18)


The impossible gift: for some children, it's a
pony; for us, it was a pool table. Every Christmas
we asked for a pool table and ended up
disappointed. Finally, one Christmas we sat
around the tree after opening all our presents.
Figuring there would be no pool table, we resigned
ourselves to look more closely at the presents we
had received. That's when mom and dad brought
out one last present for each of us. One brother
opened a triangle; another opened a box of pool
balls. We were all running downstairs before the
other three gifts were unwrapped.

That's what happened to Zechariah. But instead of
running downstairs to see the pool table, he sat on
the floor asking "How shall I know this?" Long ago
he had given up the dream of having a child. So
even though an angel stands before him giving this
tremendous good news, Zechariah finds it
impossible to believe.

God's great promises often greet us when we are
beaten down, discouraged and depressed. A
cynicism often seeps in that keeps us from enjoying
God's gifts as we should, but those gifts are still
offered whether you believe it or not. The baby is still
in Bethlehem's manger for you. Will you pass it by
just because you've been discouraged by the events
in your life?

Christmas is really all about God stepping into our
world of disappointment, heartache and failure. He
came to share our life of pain and sorrow; He came to
give us His life of joy, peace and bliss.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, come to me in my disillusionment and
pain. Reassure me of Your power to heal my pain,
provide all my needs, and lead me to unending joy
in Your presence. Amen.

(Lutheran Hour Ministries)

The word became flesh, and made his dwelling
among us. – John 1:14

“The word became flesh.” It means that the Son
of God became human—really, truly human—
with the exception that he had no sin. Christmas
is a time of awe because the best news the human
race ever received was that its Creator had so
much love, that he joined the human race to save it.
He is a savior who experienced real hunger, real
fatigue, real sorrow. He faced temptation when the
Evil One tempted him in the wilderness with very
“fleshy” things like power, wealth, and authority
(Luke 4:1-13).

Jesus knows us, because he was one of us. Real
flesh, but perfect. So on those days when we are
so disappointed with ourselves because we are
having a hard time controlling the flesh, this is the
kind of savior to turn to.

Prayer:

Lord, help me to hear “the Word” this Christmas.
Help me to see you for who you are in all your glory.
Thank you for humbling yourself.

(by Mel Lawrenz)

They went on their way, and the star they had seen in the
east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place
where the child was. When they saw the star, they were
overjoyed. – Matthew 2:9-10

In Psalm 19, David gives voice to the stars:

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim
the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth
speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is
no speech or language where their voice is not heard.
Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the
ends of the world. (Vss. 1-4)

If you have ever stood outside at night and looked up at
the canopy of stars, away from the city, away from noise,
you may have seen that the stars have a message. In
silence they speak, and their voice is thunderous.

The star of Bethlehem, a sign in the sky noted by the
Magi, may have been a miraculous event, matching the
miraculous entry of the Savior into the world, or it may
have been a natural astronomical phenomenon, used by
God as a sign. In either case, the heavens were speaking
in a unique way about a unique world-changing event.
Should that come as any surprise?

But note that only the observant recognized the sign, and
in this case, they were outsiders. God drew outsiders
toward Bethlehem with a word that he had placed in the
sky. Don’t ever doubt that God is speaking to the “outsider,”
and that those who seek will find. Christmas is both for
believers, and for those who have yet to come to faith. In
those days, it was a celestial sign that attracted the
attention of outsiders. Today, there are many signs that
Jesus accomplished something unique in the world, acts
arise out of and point to his holy character.

Prayer:

Lord, thank you for putting your clear markers into this
world and into our lives so we can know that you are real,
and what you intend to do. May this Christmas be a new
marker for me.

(by Mel Lawrenz)