Good Tidings | Kristi's Morning Devotional

I don’t know of a better way to usher in the Christmas season than with hearts filled with thanksgiving. It just seems like the logical thing to do – giving thanks prepares our hearts for the best that God had to give.

So, we decorated our trees (I’ll explain more in a minute), started reading our new Christmas story books and talked about Jesus’ birth with Sam and Kristine. One of the things I enjoy doing most at Christmas time is reading beautifully illustrated books that will capture the childrens’ attention and help them understand the real meaning of Christmas.

Dave and I will be spending Christmas at a campground this year. This was not our original plan but it’s not a bad Plan B. Last week I bought a small evergreen tree to take with us and it will sit on the breakfast bar until we leave. Yesterday the kids decorated it with some brightly painted tin ornaments. They both chose five ornaments and could place them whereever they wanted on the tree. Sam had an angel ornament that also had a star attached to it. He wanted that one to be at the top because the star was for Jesus.

Later in the day we headed out to the front courtyard where Dave helped us place big plastic ornaments in the mesquite tree. We laughed and giggled, oohed and ahhed, as he lifted each glittery ball at least fifteen feet in the air.

We were having so much fun!

“An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord was shining around them. The shepherds were very afraid. ¹⁰The angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid. I have some very good news for you—news that will make everyone happy. ¹¹Today your Savior was born in David’s town. He is the Messiah, the Lord.” Luke 2:9-11 ERV

Joy is the message of Christmas. God, the Father, was so excited about His Son’s birth that He lit up the heavens and had an angels’ chorus announce the good news! After thousands of years, the day was here, that day when God came to earth and became Immanuel, which means God with us!

“So the Lord’s promise came true, just as the prophet had said, ²³‘A virgin will have a baby boy, and he will be called Immanuel,” which means “God is with us.’”Matthew 1:22-23 CEV

Now that’s the reason for the joy and laughter!

May I admonish you to take a strong stand against stress and grumbling this Christmas season. What if we decorated our lives they way we decorate our homes and our trees? Look for and share the lasting joy that has been heaven sent! Look at Christmas through the eyes of the angels – the wonder of heaven coming to earth.

“My soul will be happy in the Lord. It will be full of joy because He saves. ¹⁰All my bones will say, “Lord, who is like You? Who saves the weak from those too strong for them? Who saves the poor from those who would rob them?” Psalm 35:9-10 NLV

Prepare now to be happy and full of joy!

I have a few tabs on my desktop that I leave open because I visit the sites frequently and see no need to close them but when I do open a new tab my screen defaults to a news page and I am faced with the latest headlines of the day. Very rarely does that page bring me good news.

That is a stark contrast to the headlines I find each day when I open my Bible! I am grateful for good news, the good news of the gospel.

“Good news from a faraway place is like a cool drink of water when you are hot and thirsty.” Proverbs 25:25 ERV

Since all Scripture is inspired by God and since His throne is in the heavens I figure that constitutes a faraway place. His word, my good news, is refreshing to my soul. Each morning we are able to choose the path our day will take; we can choose life and joy or frustration and stress. All of us face difficult and trying times but we don’t have to let them control us.

“When he came to the village of Nazareth, his boyhood home, he went as usual to the synagogue on the Sabbath and stood up to read the Scriptures. ¹⁷The scroll of Isaiah the prophet was handed to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where this was written: ¹⁸“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, ¹⁹and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.” ²⁰He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant, and sat down. All eyes in the synagogue looked at him intently. ²¹Then he began to speak to them. “The Scripture you’ve just heard has been fulfilled this very day!” ²²Everyone spoke well of him and was amazed by the gracious words that came from his lips. “How can this be?” they asked. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” Luke 4:16-22 NLT

Jesus is our good news! When he came, he came with purpose – He came to bring deliverance, sight, freedom and favor with the Father. He spent His entire life of ministry bringing good news to all He met.

The angels announced it on the night of His birth.

“That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. ⁹Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, ¹⁰but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. ¹¹The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!” Luke 2:8-11 NLT

Good News!

And I am very grateful that I get to share the good news with you.

“Yes, the Scriptures say, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disappointed.” ¹²It says this because there is no difference between those who are Jews and those who are not. The same Lord is the Lord of all people. And he richly blesses everyone who looks to him for help. ¹³Yes, “everyone who trusts in the Lord will be saved.” ¹⁴But before people can pray to the Lord for help, they must believe in him. And before they can believe in the Lord, they must hear about him. And for anyone to hear about the Lord, someone must tell them. ¹⁵And before anyone can go and tell them, they must be sent. As the Scriptures say, “How wonderful it is to see someone coming to tell good news!” Romans 10:11-15 NLT

I hope you welcome this blog each morning as your good news. Extra – Extra. Today is a day of Good News – Jesus, our Savior, is here to save, protect, provide and deliver!

Read all about it!

Tag: Good Tidings

So Much Fun

Grateful for Good News