December 16

Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Romans 13:14

Simple scripture, or is it? Have you ever thought about getting dressed in the morning and putting on Jesus Christ? Sounds kind of silly. We can always put on the armor of Christ. We can visualize the sandals of peace, the belt of truth, and the righteousness of God. We have seen a battle shield, so we know about the shield of faith. We know what a helmet looks like and can know that our salvation covers us. We have experienced the sword of God’s word in our own lives, and that too we can understand. But to clothe ourselves in Christ takes a bit of imagination.

Until…you look closely at the word clothe. It is a verb and has the sense of sinking into a garment. Have you ever sat in a chair and just had that feeling you were sinking into its warmth and comfort? That might be what it would feel like to clothe yourself in Christ. When you get up in the morning, imagine wrapping His arms around you, sinking so far back into Christ that you are surrounded by Him so that you will have the quality of being clothed with the personality and character of Jesus.

Jesus, this is a world hurting. During this season You have given me the opportunity to dress in Your personality. Help me to wrap Your arms around someone today, to share the good news, to glorify You! Amen.

Sixteenth-Day Activities

Take some time today and clean out your closet and your kid’s closet. The general rule is if it hasn’t been worn in the last six months, give it to someone in need. In all seasons anymore, many people, families included, are homeless and out on the streets. They have had to leave all they owned and walk away with only the clothes on their backs. They could use that extra pair of pants in the back of your closet, the T-shirts your children have outgrown, and even the coat that you think is old and worn can keep someone toasty tonight. 

You can check with the shelters to see if they could use the clothes or check with your local fire department to see if they know of anyone in need. Look beyond yourself, and you will see a need that you can supply.

How is the journey of the three wise men going? Have they been experiencing some difficulties in getting to the location of the stable? Talk with your children about what they might have come across on their trip.

Have you ever seen a camel? Not the animal most of us would keep in the backyard. But you can go online and look up camel and research them with your children. Help your child draw a camel and talk about how they think the wise men rode on them. Can you find a picture of someone riding on a camel?