Devotion:

There are many types of Christmas trees. Some are massive; others are tiny. Some have needles that are soft to the touch; others have thick branches that do a good job of holding heavy ornaments. And, of course, some are real, while others are artificial. Regardless of what kind of tree you have—Fir, Pine, Spruce, Cedar—when you look closely enough, you can always tell if it’s real or fake. 

In the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, King Nebuchadnezzar tried to convince them his god was a real god worthy of worship. He was angry because the men refused to give in. They even said they were willing to die before they would reject their God. The king’s god was just a large golden statue he made for himself. While it was foolish for anyone to bow down and worship a big statue, no one else was willing to die over it. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego knew their God was the only real God, and they put their faith in him. 

Every year, billions of people around the world celebrate Christmas, but not all for the same reasons. To many, it is all about presents, or parties, or time off from work and school. It’s easy to exchange the real reason for Christmas with something else that serves our own desires. Just like King Nebuchadnezzar, we are prone to put fake gods in place of the true, living God. But when the king saw the truth, he praised God and began telling others of how the Most High God had performed miraculous signs and wonders.

Christmas is more than just an opportunity for us to celebrate Jesus’ birth. We also get to share how God came to save us through Jesus. We can help other people exchange what they may believe is just a fun family time for the real reason we celebrate—the birth of Jesus Christ, our Savior and King!