Advent Devotion for December 21

Save Me

Matthew 1:18-25

She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” — Matthew 1:21 NIV

I still remember the day my wife and I went and saw the motion picture “The Notebook” in the theater. It was a difficult movie for me when I discovered it was about a wife who struggled with dementia. As my wife and I looked on, we saw my mother and father’s situation but in a role reversal to the characters.

While my family and I looked through our parent’s household effects after my mother died, I discovered the reason why my dad wrote a book about his life. It was not only for his family but it was his own Notebook for memory.

One of the chapters in his notebook described his struggles with faith (his young father died on Christmas Eve when Dad was fourteen). He wrote, “I tried to accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior many times and I never had any lights or sirens go off or a drastic change in my life.” I responded to my dad, “Dad, accepting Jesus as your Savior is only necessary once. There were no lights or sirens when you came to Christ because there wasn’t very much God needed to change in you.” He gave me a big smile and hug.

I believe he silently read his Notebook to capture his faith, because Dad knew the Babe in the Manger who saved him from his sins.

Prayer: Dear God, thank you for being the Babe who is Savior in my life. Amen.

Thought for the Day
Who needs to hear about the babe in the manger who saves ?

Prayer Focus: People who lost a loved one around Christmas