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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 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
  • December 24th - Luke 2:4

    December 24th - Luke 2:4
    Dec 24 2025
    Luke 2:4 Because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. Jesus was born in the little town of Bethlehem. Even today, it’s not a particularly large town with only about 30,000 people – the size of a small market town. However, Bethlehem was full of significance – it was here that Samuel anointed David. The prophet visited the town on God’s instruction to find a king to replace Saul. God told him to visit the family of Jesse, and the proud father happily presented his sons to the prophet. One by one, they met with Samuel, but, impressive as they were, God didn’t consider them suitable. The prophet had to learn that: “People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). David was the youngest of the sons, and such an unlikely choice. They hadn’t even bothered to invite him in from the fields where he was watching over the sheep and goats, but as soon as he came in, the Lord identified him as the new king. David may not have seemed a likely candidate for the role of king, but he went on to become a formidable military commander and a wise leader of his people. In the centuries that followed, the nation continued to look back on David’s reign as the high-water mark in their history. What the people of Israel learned was that God often works in surprising ways, and Jesus coming from David’s family line is a further illustration of that. Who would have thought that the Messiah would enter the world in such a humble way and at such an awkward moment in the nation’s history? Surely the Messiah would be welcomed by kings and rulers, or at least by the chief priest and his entourage, but it was not to be. Jesus came to a young couple who had no profile or seniority, and well away from the important people in the land. This God of surprises whom we meet in the Christmas story is the one we worship today. Time and again, he comes not to the leaders and the powerful, but to the humble people who simply agree to do his will. In a society in which style, profile and image mean so much, we need to remind ourselves that although we tend to look at the outward appearance, God looks at the heart. Question How have you seen God working in surprising ways in your own life? Prayer Lord God, help me not to be fooled by people’s appearance, but to see them as you do. Amen
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    4 min
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