But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:10-11

At Christmas time many of our religious schools put on a worship service during which the children tell the Nativity story.

It was at one such service in Michigan that a student was given one line to say: She was to quote the announcement of the angel who told the shepherds of Jesus' birth. The line is familiar to many: "Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy." The student asked her teacher, "What does the word ‘tidings’ mean?" The teacher explained, "The word ‘tidings’ is the same as ‘news.’" Although the Christmas service didn't go exactly as planned (they never do), neither she, nor anyone else was upset, when the girl got up and enthusiastically announced to everybody gathered, "Hey, everybody, I’ve got good news for you!"

I don't think I can improve on the message of the angels or that little girl.

In the midst of the mess of ribbons and bows, with turmoil in every land and in our own lives, God wants you to know, "Hey, I got good news for you!" If your life hasn't been what it ought to be, if things haven't gone the way you hoped they would, the Lord has good news: Your Savior is born to give His life so you might be set free from sin, Satan, and death.

And no matter what else you might hear this Christmas, or ever, the news won’t ever get any better than that.


From a devotion originally written for "By the Way"



THE PRAYER: Dear Jesus, in a world racked in sorrow and fatigue, renew us through Your Spirit so our lives reflect the Good News that can –and does –change everything. Blessed be Your Name. Amen.

In Christ I remain His servant and yours,

Today's Bible Readings: Esther 9-10    Revelation 14

To Download Devotion MP3 to your computer, right click here and select "Save Link As" or "Save Target As" or "Download Linked File As"