A Devotional Series by Melanie Mentzer

And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. Luke 2:7

It’s Christmas eve, can you believe it? I don’t know about you guys, but this month sure flew. First we were at the Feliz navidad party and it felt like Christmas was ages away, and now we’re at the point that we can say Christmas is tomorrow! Crazy stuff for sure.
I’m speaking for myself, and hope all of you can agree, that I have really been reminded of a lot this Christmas season. Past Christmases I’ve been so worried about what I was getting for Christmas and what I was getting others that the whole point of why we celebrate Christmas always went out the window. You’re probably getting tired of the “Christmas story” by now, but this verse has a whole lot to do with giving.. Wait for it.
Mary had just gave birth to little baby Jesus. The first week of this series I talked about the ultimate gift, God sacrificing His son for our sins. This is the start of it all. Jesus was just born, He was just given to the world. Now Jesus is to live among the world and in the world. The birth of Christ is a gift. With Christmas being tomorrow, it’s so easy to look under that tree and see everything under and forget about Jesus. I’m sitting by my Christmas tree as I’m writing this, and I’m just looking at those presents under there. No matter what is wrapped Fup in that shiny silver paper, with the big red bow, nothing compares to the gift of the birth of Christ!

Application:
I love Christmas, don’t get me wrong I’m super excited to tear open those gifts tomorrow, but I’m so thankful for the gift that has already been given. Jesus.

What does the birth of Christ mean to you and how can you apply it to giving?