It’s the most wonderful time of the year! I love to light the tree and enjoy reading books as a family next to its glow. We make many memories during the Christmas season — from baking cookies, to eating yummy sweets, to watching movies together on the couch, to driving to see the lights, or listening to a special concert. During this season, you need quick wins to incorporate the Christmas story and the meaning of it all into your full days. Follow along to read Five Nights of Easy Christmas Devotions for your Family. This simple guide will give you a guide to make a meaningful connection with your kids around the Christmas story.
(Each day have your children find an object that goes with the topic. For example, find Joseph from your nativity scene or find a story book with a picture of him. This will help draw your children into the lesson for each day.)
1. Night ONE of Easy Christmas Devotions for your Family
JOSEPH: The Earthly Father of Jesus
Have you ever had to make a really difficult decision? A decision between doing what was easy and what was hard? In the Christmas story, Joseph had to make a very difficult decision — whether he was going to disown Mary or accept her as his wife even though she was pregnant. Joseph knew that the baby wasn’t his baby. It was a very shameful thing for them to have baby before they were married. An angel came to Joseph, though, and told him to take Mary as his wife.
Do you think this was an easy decision? Even though he got the angel’s message, it was still difficult for him to deal with the consequences of that decision. There was still shame and embarrassment. The people around them probably gossiped about them and made fun of them and their situation. They didn’t understand. When Mary and Joseph started speaking about angels, the Son of God, and the Holy Spirit, I’m sure the people just laughed. Nothing like that had ever happened before and certainly not in THEIR town.
Joseph could have avoided all of that by abandoning Mary. Instead, Joseph chose to obey what an angel of God commanded Him to do. He was obedient to God and took Mary as his wife. That wasn’t an easy task at all.
How about you? Do you always make the right decisions? Do you obey even when it is hard? Joseph is an example to us to have courage to obey God even when it is hard — to not cheat on the test even though you can see your friend’s answers, to write your own paper when you could just get AI to do it, to tell mom the truth even though you’ll be disciplined for it, to stick up for a friend even though your whole team is picking on her, to not watch that movie even though you’ll be the only one who doesn’t, etc.
Courage means doing the right thing no matter what the consequences are, and Joseph is a great example of this. When you think of Joseph this Christmas season, think about Joseph and his courage. Be like Joseph — strong and courageous because you know that God is with you wherever you go.
Do you have examples of situations that is has been hard to make the right decisions? Discuss those as a family and talk about how God gives us strength and courage in those times. Your strength may actually be a testimony to others who may follow your example.
Read Joshua 1:8-9 together to see how God makes us strong and courageous.
2. Night TWO of Easy Christmas Devotions for your Family
STAR — a bright light that leads to the Savior of the world
Are you good at following directions? Back when I was a child, I remember taking road trips as a family. We took out our maps and planned our routes, writing down the step-by-step directions from road to road. While driving down the highway, I navigated in the back seat, finding the names of upcoming towns or routes. I loved making sure we were on the right way to our destination.
What about you? Do you know how to follow a map?
In the story of Christmas, it was important that the wise men followed the star exactly, staying on route. They followed it all the way until it stood over the house where the young child was. They knew that this star was a sign that a new king was born, and they followed and followed for months or maybe even years.
Just as they followed the star, we have a guide for our lives as well. Our guide is the Bible. It is our map to guide us along the way and keep us out of trouble. The problem with this is that many people don’t even open the Bible. They keep it on their shelves and take it with them to church on special holidays like Christmas or Easter.
I don’t know about you, but if I was on a trip, I would want to have a map or a GPS with me to keep me on the right path. God’s Word tells us how to handle our money, how to be a good friend, how to make wise choices, how to live at peace with everyone, how to train your children in the Lord, and much more. When we look in the pages of the Bible, we see the directions for all of life. We are wise men when we follow what it says.
So, as you think about the Star this Christmas season or see lots of them hanging in the sky on these cool winter evenings, remember to use the Bible as your map and guide. It isn’t just a book; it is the very words of God. He has given this as our map for all of life. We would be wise if we followed it as the wisemen followed the star.
What are some of the truths in the Bible which are wise to obey? Where are those found in the Scriptures? Why doesn’t everyone use the Bible and its wisdom for their directions in life?
Read Proverbs 1:1-9 to hear more about how God’s Word gives us wisdom.
3. Night THREE of Easy Christmas Devotions for your Family
CANDYCANE — the red and white stripes
When I think about candy at Christmas time, I always think of candy canes first of all! With their peppermint taste to their signature shape and coloring, they are an iconic symbol of Christmas. But do you know the story behind the candy cane?
The candy cane was designed to be a Christmas candy to lead people to Jesus. Its white color reminds us of the purity of Jesus. Jesus is holy. He came to this earth without sin and remained that way for His whole life. The red is a symbol of His blood given for the forgiveness of sin. When Jesus died for us, they beat Him, and He bled. That perfect blood of Jesus is what gives us the forgiveness of our sin when we ask Him to.
Its shape is also significant. When held with the curve at the top, the candy has the shape of a shepherd’s hook. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who gave His life for His sheep, and shepherds were the first to hear about the birth of the Savior. When held with the curve at the bottom, the candy is in the shape of a “J”, which obviously stands for JESUS.
Candy Canes also have a sweet taste. Peppermint is an iconic taste and smell of Christmas. Some believe that this sweetness and smell are because knowing Jesus and having our sin debt forgiven is a sweet part of our lives. When we see candy canes this holiday season, let’s be reminded how Christmas is all about CHRIST.
For more information about the Candy Cane, read the children’s illustrated story called The Legend of the Candy Cane. Find it here.
4. Night FOUR of Easy Christmas Devotions for your Family
ANGEL — The messengers of God to share the good news of Jesus
Have you ever been trusted to take a special message to someone? Whether it is carrying a note to the school office for your teacher or giving a message to your parents from your coach, the messenger is a trusted, honest person who has an important job. Tell your family about a time you were a trusted messenger.
In the Christmas story, the special messengers were angels. First, an angel carried the message to Mary, the mother of Jesus, to tell her that she was expecting a child that was given to her by the Holy Spirit. Next, the angel greeted Joseph in a dream to instruct him to take Mary as his wife and to name the baby Jesus, who will save His people from their sins. These announcements were so special that God needed His trusted angels to make them. Their next message was to the shepherds to tell them that the Messiah was born! A whole host of angels declared through song and majesty of the coming of the promised Savior.
Carrying a message is an important job — a job that you and I have from God as well. If you know Jesus as your Savior, God has given you the task of telling others about Jesus and the Gospel of salvation. Just like the angels announced His birth, you too need to be telling others that Christmas is all about Jesus and His birth. Our message doesn’t stop there. The story continues with His life and death. Is there a better time in the year to start being God’s messenger than to start now at Christmas? Just as the angels sent messages from God the Father, He is asking you today to send His message to your friends, family, and neighbors. The Good News is too good to keep to ourselves.
Romans 10:14 says, “How can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? How can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent. As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” When we share the good news of Jesus like the angels did, God says we have beautiful feet… yes, that it is true, even for your daddy’s feet!
5. Night FIVE of Easy Christmas Devotions for your Family
COOKIE CUTTERS — Jesus is making us into His Image
Have you ever had those PeanutButter Blossom Cookies, the peanut butter cookie with a Hershey Kiss on the top? I remember the first time that I had those at a Christmas party when I was a child. I loved the chocolate on the top, but the cookie was pretty tasteless and dry for my liking. Going back to the table of cookies, I collected several more of those only to eat the Kisses and secretly dump my napkin full of PeanutButter cookies into the trash. Kids, DO NOT DO THIS! I now make the best PeanutButter Blossom Cookies which are soft and chewy.
Do you have a favorite Christmas cookie? Most of the time when I think of Christmas cookies, I think of the sugar cookies which we cut into shapes — angels, snowmen, stars, candy canes, and more. We make the dough, roll it out onto the counter, and then use cookie cutters to make the shapes. It is fun to see the trays fill up before we put them in the oven! What is your favorite shape to make? I love stars.
When we see cookie cutters this Christmas season, let’s consider how Jesus shapes us. You see, He is using the situations that we have in our lives to make us into the person He wants us to be. Ultimately, He desires that we look like Him — having the character that He does. We get that character through the challenges and the hard times that we have. He puts difficult challenges into our lives to make us more patient while He gives us people with great needs to make us more loving and generous.
Jesus wants us to look like Him. The cookie cutter he is using on us is Himself. He is cutting away the “dough” to make us into a wonderful shape… the image of Jesus. So, when you encounter hard times, things that are helping to change your character, remember that Jesus is using those things to make us more like Himself. Read what the Bible says about this in Isaiah 64:8 and Jeremiah 18:1-6.
I hope that these devotionals are a blessing to you and your family as you take the simple things you have around the house for Christmas and see the spiritual applications of them.
From my home to yours, MERRY CHRISTMAS!
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