14 Days Until Christmas!
Song: “Mary, Did You Know?” by Pentatonix
Christmas Album: “A Christmas for You From Phil Spector,” by Various Artists
Christmas DVD: “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (2000)
Netflix Movie: “Love Actually”
Amazon Prime Movie: “Christmas Lodge”
Disney+ Movie: “Godmothered”
Hulu Movie: “Almost Christmas”
Max Movie: “Candy Coated Christmas”
Hallmark Movie: “Checkin’ It Twice”
On TV:
New programming in bold
• “Elf,” 6 p.m., AMC
• “Home Alone,” 6 p.m., Freeform
• “A 90s Christmas,” 6 p.m., Hallmark
• “Frosty the Snowman,” 8 p.m., NBC
• “Deck the Walls,” 8 p.m., Hallmark
• “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York,” 8:25 p.m., Freeform
• “Shrek the Halls,” 8:30 p.m., NBC
• “A Motown Christmas,” 9 p.m., NBC
• “Capital One Bowl Mania,” 9:35 p.m., ESPN
• “‘Tis the Season to Be Irish,” 10 p.m., Hallmark
Recipe: Free Range Fruitcake
Quick Thought for Christmas
Read
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6
Reflect
The Jews were indeed looking for a warrior king, and that definitely meant it had to be a man. A grown man, ready to step in and lead a nation into battle against its oppressors.
Amazingly, God had told them exactly where to look for their Messiah. In Isaiah 9:6, they were told that the Messiah would be a child, and in Micah 5:2, they were informed that their Savior would come from Bethlehem.
And just like we’ve read earlier, they were also told that the Messiah wouldn’t be about war, but peace. “Wonderful Counselor.” “Mighty God.” “Everlasting Father.” “Prince of Peace.” Those aren’t words of war. They’re words of comfort and peace.
During this season of Christmas, peace can be a little elusive. We’re surrounded by so much seasonal noise and clamor – buy the gifts, fix the dinner, go to the party. Lost in the shuffle is the peace that comes with a close relationship with the promised Savior, Jesus Christ.
Today, try to spend just a few minutes with that child Savior and seek his counsel, comfort and peace. Prepare your heart for a joyous celebration that is now less than two weeks away.
Reflection copyright © 2024 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.
