December 24 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Devotional

It makes little difference whether you listen to the song of Hannah, which she sang after she had received baby Samuel, or the song of Mary in Luke 1. Their songs may be personal, but they are not original. The material of their poems you can find everywhere in the Bible.

The content of their songs boils down to this: God is sovereign. God turns away from the proud and throws the arrogant from their thrones, but he helps those who are humble.

This is the right song to sing on the eve of Christmas. At Christmas, God turns away from all those who sit on their thrones and extends his hand to all who kneel.

Humility is the only gate through which we may reach Bethlehem.

Remember that at the beginning of our history, we wanted to be like God? Yes, and we have always wanted to build a tower that would reach the heavens. We are obsessed by the idea that we should be our own boss. We want to live by our own rules and elevate ourselves to the level of God.

But now comes Christmas. Instead of people becoming God, God becomes a person. And God says that if anyone on this planet wants to reach his or her destiny, that person must go to the manger of Bethlehem and kneel down.

There is no other entry into to the kingdom of heaven.

It's a simple tune, the song of Hannah and the song of Mary. Two women composing songs out of words that abound in the Scriptures: "He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble." It's a song we all must learn—now or never.

Perhaps Christmas should be a feast that's only for children. Certainly the kingdom of God is only for those who become like children.

REFLECTIONS

Use the words of Mary's song (Luke 1:46-55) as your own song of praise to God.

Andrew Kuyvenhoven's Daylight, a modern devotional classic, was originally published by Paideia Press in 1977. This updated edition is copyright 2009 by Faith Alive Christian Resources. You can order a copy of this revised version of the book directly from the publisher.

A man of many accomplishments, Andrew Kuyvenhoven is probably best known for his contributions to Today (formerly The Family Altar), a widely-used monthly devotional booklet associated with the Back to God Hour. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations for this updated edition of Daylight are from the Holy Bible: Today's New International Version copyright 2001, 2005 by the International Bible Society.