Joyce Meyer Daily Devotional 24 December 2021
Topic: When You Celebrate, Don’t Forget Others
Scripture: As the days on which the Jews got rest from their enemies, and as the month which was turned for them from sorrow to gladness and from mourning into a holiday—that they should make them days of feasting and gladness, days of sending choice portions to one another and gifts to the poor. – Esther 9:22 (AMPC)
Esther, the young Jewish maiden who eventually became a queen, commanded that gifts be sent to the poor when she and her countrymen celebrated their freedom (see Esther 9:22).
Part of our celebrating the good things God has done for us should be to remember to reach out to those who are still in need. A friend of mine is on a church committee that reaches out to homeless shelters at Christmas. The church gets a list of all the children living at a particular shelter, complete with the children’s ages and clothing sizes. Church members who are able to do so choose a child’s name and purchase a Christmas gift for him or her. in December, they hold a Christmas party at the shelter, with lots of food, Christmas music, stories about Jesus’ birth and His love for each child, and, of course, all the children receive their gifts.
After the party, many church members have said that when they return home, they’re more grateful for their own homes and blessings than they were before the party.
Seeing and experiencing the needs of others firsthand brings us a fresh awareness of how blessed we are. People tend to be more generous at Christmastime, but we need to realize that the poor and marginalized are needy all the time. We should help them all year long and be extra generous during the holidays.
We wish you a very merry Christmas eve!
Prayer Starter: Lord, in the midst of our holiday celebrations, show me how I can make someone else’s holidays happier. In Jesus’ name!
