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Bring some Spirit-filled peace into your hectic schedule every weekday morning with this new Daily Devotional.
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  • December 27th - Luke 2:18-19

    December 27th - Luke 2:18-19
    Dec 27 2025
    Luke 2:18-19 All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. People greeted the birth of Jesus in very different ways. The shepherds were thrilled that they had been given front row seats for this wonderful occasion. It was the last thing that they would ever have believed would happen to them. Having seen the baby just as the angel had promised, they rushed back to their village with the news. The people were astonished. Then there was Mary. Her reaction was very different. She’d had nine months to prepare for this remarkable moment, but even so, she had a lot of adjusting to do. Not only was her way of life completely changed, just as it is for any mother after the birth of her firstborn child, but she also needed to reflect on the awesome implications of bringing up the Saviour of the World. She had a lot to reflect upon, and it’s no wonder that, in Luke’s thoughtful words, “she kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often”. People still respond to the good news of Jesus in a remarkable variety of ways. For some people, it transforms their life in a moment. When they learn that Jesus can forgive their sins and set them free to live a completely new life, nothing looks the same again. I remember one woman telling me that the change was so great that it was as if she had only ever seen life in black and white. Having met Christ, it was now in colour! For many others, finding new life in Christ is a slow and gradual process. No fireworks, no moments of astonishment – just a slow, gradual change of life and outlook. None of this should surprise us. We are all very different from one another, and God meets us not as a job lot but as individuals with very different backgrounds, temperaments and outlooks. Question How did you respond when you first heard the good news about Jesus? Prayer Loving God, thank you for the fact that you come to us as individuals, and that you meet our own particular needs. Amen
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    3 min
  • December 26th - Luke 2:10-11

    December 26th - Luke 2:10-11
    Dec 26 2025
    Luke 2:10-11 “Don’t be afraid!” [the angel] said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Saviour – yes, the Messiah, the Lord – has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!” The news of Jesus’ birth would have been a shock to the shepherds for many reasons. We know these accounts so well that there isn’t any surprise for us, but we need to remember that although the prophet Isaiah had spoken clearly about the coming of a Messiah, that was more than 700 years ago for the shepherds. Over the past 400 years, there hadn’t been a prophet in the land. There was nothing that would have led them to believe that this would be the moment of the Messiah’s birth. Additionally, they were shepherds. They were not seen as responsible members of the community and were generally excluded from religious life. They were outsiders, and would hardly have expected to be the first people to receive news of Jesus’ birth. It was also the middle of the night, and you needn’t be surprised that the sudden arrival of an angelic choir gave them an enormous shock! They were understandably terrified. The news that the angels brought to the shepherds was one of great joy, and that note of joy rings out throughout the Gospel of Luke. Whenever anyone grasps the good news of Jesus, the result is joy. We see that supremely in the three parables of the lost in chapter 15. Firstly, and significantly, there is joy over the discovery of the lost sheep. Although the shepherd had 99 other sheep, he was so joyful at finding this one sheep that he called in his friends and neighbours to share the celebration. Then, when a woman lost one of her ten silver coins in her headdress, she conducted a meticulous search of her house. When the coin was found, she couldn’t keep it to herself and welcomed others to share her joy. Finally, Jesus told the story of the agonising loss of a son. The father longed for the moment when the wayward son might return, even though the son had terribly abused him. When he returned, the father held a banquet to celebrate the moment because he was so full of joy. Joy was at the heart of the good news of Jesus and is the experience of everyone who welcomes him into their lives today. Question In what way have you experienced the joy which Jesus brings? Prayer Loving God, thank you for sending Jesus into the world, and for the joy which he still brings to those who place their trust in him.
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    4 min
  • December 25th - Luke 2:6-7

    December 25th - Luke 2:6-7
    Dec 25 2025
    Luke 2:6-7 And while they were there in Bethlehem, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them. The birth of Jesus was such an incredibly important moment in the history of the world that the circumstances of it are deeply shocking. This was no way to welcome the Son of God, but all of this serves to remind us of the love of God in sending his Son to be part of our broken and disordered world. Many people have questioned why Joseph took Mary on the journey to Bethlehem. He himself was obliged to go because his family line came from that town, but it is unlikely that Mary needed to be there. So why did he take his heavily pregnant wife along with him on the arduous and dangerous 80-mile journey? It is quite likely that he did so because Joseph knew the people of Nazareth might cause problems for Mary due to the unusual circumstances of her pregnancy. Joseph didn’t want to leave her side, so she needed to go with him. In Bethlehem, far from home, there would have been no family members to support Mary. She herself had to wrap her baby in strips of cloth, a task which someone else would normally have performed, and the only place to lay the baby was in the unhygienic setting of an animal’s feeding trough. Hardly an appropriate resting place for a newborn baby, even for the poorest people. Lodging places in little Bethlehem would have been few in number and incredibly basic. Please put out of your mind the sort of ensuite hotel rooms that you may have visited! Accommodation would probably have been in the form of bare rooms off a central courtyard, and travellers would have been expected to take their own food. The innkeeper would only offer food for the animals and a fire on which travellers could cook. Even this incredibly basic accommodation was not available for Mary and Joseph. They were probably left out in a courtyard, where you would expect to find an animal’s manger. All of these details emphasise the wonder of Jesus’ birth and the amazing love of God in sending him to be part of our world. Question What do the circumstances of Jesus’ birth tell you about God? Prayer Lord God, thank you for the gift of your Son, Jesus. I praise you for the wonder of your love. Amen
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    4 min
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