“Oh, thank You Lord, Christmas is here again. My heart trembles with excitement. Christmas carols in every church, smashing colours everywhere, the mirth in the atmosphere, the new dresses and the flavour of variety cooking filling the air ! Everyone is alive and glowing. Though often I tell myself these are nothing, still these mundane rituals do mean something, Lord. They kindle in me the spirit of Christmas. They make me skip and dance!

“Thank You Lord for the lovely Christmas story. It is as brilliant today as it was 2000 years ago. Thank You for Your salvation without which Christmas would have been meaningless to me. But now every small event of that history is so full of meaning. Your Son made BC and AD. I am proud before my non-Christian friends that Christ is a historical figure.

“Even the dry geneology has something to tell me. It speaks of four women—outcasts—chosen to bring forth Christ into the world. It really encourages me, Lord, that even I can be an instrument to bring forth Christ to this sinful world. Thank You Lord for the Study Bible which supplies this thought. Usually women find no place in Jewish geneologies. This teaches me Lord that You place me in places I don’t deserve to be placed (1:1-17).

“But why did not Joseph inform the elders about Mary and have her stoned in public as he should have done? Oh yes, because he was a righteous man. Lord, make me as righteous as Joseph that I may cover the shortcomings of my brothers and sisters and not make them public. Joseph didn’t perform any spiritual feat but just lived a righteous life. Keep reminding me Lord that You alone can judge us—on the basis of what we are, not just what we do (1:18,19).

“I wonder Lord, why Mary never tried to inform Joseph about what happened to her. Did she refuse to seek easy favour at the expense of her principles? May be she left the matter entirely in Your hands and did not lean on her own understanding. Why is it that more often I fight my own battles? Lord, please help me to trust You completely and be still when I know I am right that You may send Your angel and speak to the other party. Let me not waste my words. Man congratulates for what I do. But You alone congratulate for what I do not do!

“How confused I become at times when I think of my problems—too confused to pray. I am now encouraged. When Joseph thought on these things the angel came. You answer even my thoughts and make matters clear to me, Lord. Keep me from making grave errors in life (1:20).

“Thank You Father for Jesus. He saves me from my sins. How the devil condemns me! How many lies he tells me to make me believe that this sin of mine cannot be forgiven. He chews me out over some trivial matter. Lord, let me memorise this, “Call His name Jesus; for He shall save His people from their sins,” so I can yell it to the devil (1:21).

“And Immanuel, God with us! Please, dear Lord, let me feel Your presence every moment. Not only when l am good, when I am bad too—warn me—Immanuel, God with me! (1:23).

“Bless me Lord with the absolute obedience of Joseph— without a word! Did he not think that people would blame him for Mary’s condition? Did he count the cost? I am surprised Lord at this man’s courage to obey You unruffled, let come what may. Help me Lord to share the blame when my own brothers and sisters in the Lord face shame and humiliation. I don’t want to show myself better than they. And Joseph didn’t keep licking his wound for your interference in his budding romance. Lord, deliver me from self-pity for whatever sacrifice You may require of me. (1:24,25).

“Enviable couple! How smoothly Mary and Joseph functioned. Sometimes I feel as if I am in a marital straight jacket. Help me relax and be cooperative for Your Kingdom sake. Yes, mighty Lord, when you join there is no joint! I wish to do so much for You Lord, but l find myself unable to do as much as I desire to do because of my family—with a demanding daughter and a busy husband. Please assure me Lord that Your will for me is not to do great things, but doing Your will is great.

“Holy Father, how far the wise men travelled to worship Jesus! And how lazy I feel on Sunday mornings to go to the church, not on a camel but in a car, not through wilderness but nice roads! Help me Lord overcome my Sunday spell ! (2:1).

“Nobody is born as a king Lord, except Your Son Jesus Christ. Anyone else is born a child or at the most a prince, not a king ! (2:2).

“Thank You for the prophesies fulfilled in the birth of Christ. I am deeply assured that the promises You have made concerning me shall come to pass. The best prophet of my future is the past! (vv 3-5).

“Lord, I am thrilled to know how, when the wise men didn’t know where to go, Your star appeared and led them to Your Son. I rejoice with exceeding great joy that when I grope in darkness to find Your will, when black becomes blacker, Your Word like a star leads me in the right direction. You will never allow me go astray or end up in a cul-de-sac. (2:9-10).

“Were not the wise men embarrassed to fall down on the floor of a small house to worship a baby and that when a poor lady was watching? Many times I see non-Christians falling prostrate before their idols in naive adoration. I am ashamed at my pride. If such learned men as the maggies could fall down and worship, how much more should I ? Lord, let me not be an educated fool. I thank You for our colleague who shared this thought in a devotional hour (2:11).

“Your Son was just a babe. He had not started to preach or teach or work miracles. He could not give a gift to those wise men. Yet they worshipped Him and gave their treasures to Him, because He was God. Father, how many times I look upon You just as a giver and not as God. Help me dear One to understand the Habakkuk worship: “Though the fig tree may not blossom,... (nor fruit be on the coconut trees; though my business goes bankrupt; though I cannot make both ends meet; though I do not succeed in the exam and though I fail in my love affair)... yet l will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.” Let me worship You for who You are and not for what You do or give to me.

“Incidentally Lord, thank You for the loose-leaf Bible which enables me to meditate verse by verse and write down my thoughts then and there. And thank You for the dear friend who gifted it to us.

“They saw the young child with Mary, His mother, and worshipped HIM !... and presented HIM gifts! Oh Lord, prevent me from making the fatal (yes Lord, it is eternally fatal) error of worshipping the human mother of Your divine Son and the error of idolising any human instrument you choose to bring forth (proclaim) Your Son to the world.

“It is quite possible that the wise men promised to come back to Herod. But they broke the promise. Give me courage Lord to break up wrong promises I have made in haste without wisdom. Help me Holy God to understand that it is godly to break an ungodly promise. And a dunce cap for Herod! Ha ha! I like the way You make fools of your enemies, Lord! Ha ha!

“Frankly Lord, I feel You could have protected baby Jesus from the soldiers by a miracle and spared Joseph the nightmarish escape. But I accept that You don’t always perform supernatural miracles as I often expect. More often it is by natural means that You work. Thank You for my husband from whom I learnt this truth. When bad things happen to good people it only makes them better. As Nietzsche said, That which does not kill me makes me stronger!

“Bravo to Mary ! How much mental and physical pressures she had to cope up with. The task of delivering Jesus to this world is no joke. It is hard indeed. But when I see the youngish Mary, my load seems much lighter, Lord. Thank You for her example. Make me a woman of steel nerves for Your Kingdom sake. I realise, Lord, while the cost of following Your will is great, the cost of not following Your will is greater! Thank You for this dashing line I read in a magazine.

“And Your Son Jesus Christ! Truly C is for the Christ Child, the highlight of Christmas! The C of Christmas means, Christmas begins with Christ. Let the name of Your Son be enshrined in our hearts. Let His name become our chant. Help me not to forget the central Person of the celebration, Your resplendent gift. What a sacrifice for the Son of God to be born in a formidable manger, away from the cherubic smiles and seraphic songs. Sometimes people say I have sacrificed my education, job, reputation, etc. I feel so silly Lord to hear all that. I am just a glow-worm with Jesus in me. Help me to look down when I am up and look up when I am down.

“When I read the Christmas story, I feel, Lord, it is not just a day in a year to be celebrated, but everyday is Christmas day for me. Thank you Lord for the author of the song who captured the spirit of Christmas in two short lines—

Lord, help me not to go astray
But to live each day like a Christmas day !”