14 Days Until Christmas!
Song: “Christmastime Is Here,” by the Vince Guaraldi Trio
Christmas Album: “Christmas Portrait,” by the Carpenters
Christmas DVD: “Disney’s A Christmas Carol”
Netflix Movie: “The Heart of Christmas”
Amazon Prime Movie: “Small Town Santa”
Feeln Movie: “Candles on Bay Street”
On TV:
• “Elf,” 5:50 p.m., FreeForm
• “Christmas in Mississippi,” 6 p.m., Lifetime
• “A Dream of Christmas,” 6 p.m., Hallmark
• “A Night at the Movies – Merry Christmas!” 6:45 p.m., TCM
• “The Great Christmas Light Fight,” 8 p.m., ABC
• “Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings: Holiday Magic,” 8 p.m., FreeForm
• “Once Upon a Holiday,” 8 p.m., Hallmark
• “Four Christmases and a Wedding,” 8 p.m., Lifetime
• Monday Night Football: New England at Miami, 8:15 p.m., ESPN
• “The Polar Express,” 9 p.m., FreeForm
• “I’m Not Ready for Christmas,” 10 p.m., Hallmark
• “Dear Santa,” 10:14 p.m., Lifetime
Recipe: Blueberry Peach Frozen Salad
Quick Thought for Christmas
Read
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your king is coming to you;
righteous and having salvation is he,
humble and mounted on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
Zechariah 9:9
Reflect
God is very good about telling us what to expect. That was the major role for Old Testament prophets – bringing messages about God’s plans and purposes for the future. And when it came to the Messiah, God painted a very clear picture about what He would look like.
But in spite of God’s prophetic messages, people have consistently managed to overlook God’s plans and instead place their own expectations on Him. Today’s scripture is a great point.
The people of Israel desperately wanted a deliverer – someone who would overthrow and destroy their oppressors. They looked for a regal king who would be a warlike Messiah who would exact revenge for the hundreds and hundreds of years that they were kept in submission to people who had nothing but contempt for them.
But who did God tell them to look for? A good and righteous king who would come riding on a donkey.
That’s an important image, because throughout the Old Testament, kings who rode on horses brought war. But kings who rode on donkeys always brought peace. And God was telling them to expect a peaceful king who was gentle and kind.
Jesus started out life in peace and humility, and when he entered Jerusalem a few decades later, he was the prophetic picture of peace and humility – riding on a donkey. (Matthew 21)
Today, spend at least a few minutes thinking about the peace that Jesus brings to your life. If you don’t have any peace, pray for just that. And pray that the peace of Christ will reside in you throughout this Christmas season so that you can have a truly joyous celebration on Christmas Day.
Reflection copyright © 2017 by Doug DeBolt.
Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
