Scripture

Our verse for today comes from 2 Samuel 14:24, “And the king said, ‘Let him return to his own house, but do not let him see my face.’ So Absalom returned to his own house, but did not see the king’s face.”

Background

You may want to sit down for this, but Christmas will be here in less than a week. I don’t know why it is, but this last month or so has flown by. I guess it might have something to do with Thanksgiving being so late this year. Whatever the reason, though, come this time next week, things around my house and your house and the houses of the young and old will be quite different. You might, in your family’s traditions of celebration, travel to be with others of your extended family. Or, yours might be the destination for those who are doing the travelling. Either way, there’s a good chance you’ll see some people that you haven’t been with in a while. And families being as families are, and people being as they generally are, there’s also a good chance that there will be a relationship or two where there’s tension or uneasiness. Worse yet, there might be those who won’t show up because of a strained relationship. Christmas can be the worst and the best time of year for situations like these. Emotions are running high, energy can be running low, and stress can be piling up. Memories are constantly stirred up by familiar songs, recipes, decorations, and smells. You want a perfect holiday. You’d have a perfect holiday, if only for those imperfect people.

Application

So, to make things go as well as you think they can, you might be inclined to avoid a certain someone. Or maybe you’re the one thinking that this year you’ll just skip all the bustle and bother. But that’s not why Jesus came that Christmas morn. He didn’t restart time so that you could get by with only a few off-kilter relationships. He re-invented life so that peace would reign in you completely. There’s no place for a cold shoulder or a judgmental thought in the house and family of the King. What good was it for Absalom to return home if he couldn’t see his daddy’s face? Let the God who drew both shepherds and magi to his feet remove whatever divides you from another as you celebrate the birth of the Christ.

Charge

As we seek Him today, resolve to let God work another miracle through you this Christmas.

Salvation – Eternal Life in Less Than 150 Words