O Holy Night
2002 Advent Devotion Collection
December 23
READING: Genesis 1. 1-18
And God said, "Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to separate the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years,…" Genesis 1:14
The great part about nighttime is the fact that it forces the world to slow down. We just can't keep going at the same frantic pace that daytime routines command of us. With night comes the permission to bring activities to an end and put hectic schedules aside. As the hours of our busy day end, we settle in for the night, reflecting back on what we did (or did not) accomplish that day and begin preparing for tomorrow.
As we read in Genesis, God deliberately made night separate from day. God gives the world a time to rest and be recharged to face a new day. And God purposely created different forms of light to distinguish these parts of each day. The sun rules over the daytime and the moon and stars rule over the night.
Yet, even though we have moonlight
and the stars for illumination, the darkness of night seems to blanket
the world with a more somber and sometimes desolate atmosphere. We can
be faced with cold realities more at night than in the day when we have
so many distractions and activities going on. Therefore, at night, without
the warmth of the sun and the brightness of the blue skies, we can feel
more despair. It is for that very reason that I think God proclaimed Christ's
birth to the world in the great symbol of a star during the very part
of the day that seems the most lonely and discouraging for us; at night!
The bright star in the East, that
was such a wondrous symbol for the wise men, can still be a special star
for us today. May we realize God's presence and the gift of his son, Jesus
Christ, each and every time we see stars sparkling in the night sky.
PRAYER: As the wise men looked to the Star to lead them, help us, O God, to always look to you for guidance. And may the firmaments that shine at night serve as a constant reminder of your loving presence in our lives. Amen. Cindy S.
Central Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
(217) 428-4336