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Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare him room,

And heaven and nature sing.

Isaac Watts

When you are ready, click on “The Word of God” below for today's Scripture and then continue to follow the remaining steps of the devotion.

Listen

Now every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up as usual for the festival. When the festival was ended and they started to return, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. Assuming that he was in the group of travelers, they went a day’s journey. Then they started to look for him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for him.

Luke 2:41-45

Think

Like Mary and Joseph, we sometimes lose sight of Jesus. Maybe we expect him to be with people who are popular or famous; maybe we expect him to be with those who are powerful or rich. And indeed, he is sometimes there as well.

But during this season of Christmastide, we remember that the star of Bethlehem leads us to a Jesus with very humble beginnings, born in a manger among the animals to two very ordinary people.

As we search for Jesus in today’s world, we often find him in places we would least expect and in the hearts of people whom we would least expect. Let us search for where Jesus may be found today.

Joann Lee

Pray

God, I sometimes look for you in all the wrong places. Help me to find you in other people and in places I may least expect. May the star that guided the wise men to the baby Jesus continue to guide me to you today. Amen.

Go

Depart now in peace, for your eyes have seen the salvation which God has prepared for all people. Grow in strength and wisdom and bring forth a harvest of righteousness and praise.
May God smile upon you and make you strong and wise.
May Christ Jesus and his humble birth fill you with awe.
And may the Holy Spirit open your eyes to the presence of God’s Messiah.

Adapted from Nathan Nettleton, www.laughingbird.net, ©2002