Holidays With Jesus: ChristmasSample

Yesterday, I recommended  the fun activity of getting a Christmas tree. Today’s devotional shares how Jesus transformed my life, using a simply lit Christmas tree that my mom accidentally left on one evening, many Christmases ago.

I  remember the year when God turned all of my Christmases around. I wasn’t yet a Christian, but God had been working on my heart for months.

It was a Saturday night, and I had just arrived home from spending time with my friends. 

As I went to the kitchen to get a glass of milk before bed, I noticed my mom had left the Christmas tree on.

I went into the living room and put a cassette tape on to play (remember those?). The week before, a classmate had cared enough to give me a specific cassette to listen to. It was Margaret Becker’s ‘Immigrant Daughter.’

As I sat in the dark with just the Christmas tree aglow, these beautiful lyrics started playing…and began to stir and convict my heart. At that time, I had some things in my life I knew God and my parents were not proud of…yet God reached down from Heaven and loved my heart – right where I was – in the most extravagant way that very night.

My heart was being pursued by God as He was in the process of fully capturing it. Jesus was planting seeds of salvation deep in my heart that would fully bloom a few short months later.

Sitting by the Christmas tree and talking to God was so enjoyable and captivating, I decided to do this every night of the Christmas season that year. As I’d sit in the living room each night (after everyone else had gone to bed) and listen to either Margaret Becker or soft Christmas music, I’d enjoy talking to God about my day and life.

How cool and amazing is it that God seeks out our heart and meets us right where we are? He sees all of the good, as well as all of the bad...and still seeks to have the most incredible, intimate, and special relationship with us.

I don’t know where you are at today, or what you are going through in life, but I do know there is a God who deeply loves you and cherishes you! He is pursuing your heart right now and treasures you so much! He greatly desires to spend time with you each and every day. Time spent with Jesus will always be the best time you spend during the Christmas season – and the best time spent every single day of the year!

Have you decorated your Christmas tree yet? It could be a table top tree or the largest tree ever. The tree doesn’t matter...what matters is spending time with Jesus. 

I absolutely love turning all of the lights out each night and sitting by the Christmas tree, with soft music playing, and spending time with my very Best Friend, the One who loves my soul. 

I think you’ll find this is a very special time and meaningful tradition! Make a commitment to spend time with Jesus by the tree each and every night. You’ll greatly enjoy this precious time throughout the Christmas season. I love and treasure this special time so much that I decorate my tree early November (yes, I’m one of those people!) and keep my tree up until the middle of January. I have found spending my full Christmas season with Jesus to be so meaningful and relaxing, and it has greatly deepened my relationship with Him!

No matter what you’ve done in life, Jesus loves you and He is FOR you! 

Jesus treasures you and wants to walk with you not just during the Christmas season, but every day for the rest of your life!

Share your heart with Jesus starting tonight! And be sure to turn off your tree each evening. :)

Prayer: “Jesus, thank You so much for Your extravagant love! When I think about the great miracle of You, my heart is so very grateful. Thank You for never giving up on us, and planting seeds of love, purpose, and salvation in our heart so we can walk with You every day of our life. Jesus, I invite you into my heart and life and ask You to forgive me for all of my sins. Jesus, I believe You are Lord, and I believe and thank you for being born of a virgin birth and being raised from the dead. Please save me and guide me. Thank you so much for this beautiful miracle and this Christmas season – and especially for the incredible gift of You. I look forward to unwrapping Your heart each and every day! We love you, Lord! In Your precious name I pray, Amen!”

Activity: listen to Margaret Becker’s album ‘Immigrant’s Daughter’ and ask Jesus to open your heart to the lyrics. I especially like the songs ‘Honesty,’ ‘Just Come In,’ and ‘Stay Close To Me.’ The lyrics will truly bring you to the very heart of God.

This devotional © 2018 by Kim Niles/Grief Bites. All rights reserved. Used by permission.