Devotion from the past … 2003
Read Philippians 4:4–9
Making a List
Checking It Twice
Did you know that some people have the following on their 2003 Christmas gift list?
 A talking toilet paper dispenser
 Bird diapers—in a variety of colors and sizes up to duck
 And for book lovers: Anyone Can Build a Tub-Style Mechanical Chicken Plucker by
Herrick Kimball*
Did you know that the Apostle Paul invited us to send God a gift list?
Paul said, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with
thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6 NIV).
’Tis the season when people intermingle God and Santa Claus—and lots of other distracting stuff.
We can praise God that Santa Claus isn’t Him.
One thing I suspected early on is that Santa’s “ho ho ho” wasn’t always genuine (especially when
Uncle Reinhold’s fake beard got stuck to his teeth). I doubted that Santa was gracious or merciful.
One popular song confirms this: Santa makes a list, checks it twice, and identifies those who are
naughty or nice. One guess in which column my name was frozen!
Then I surmised that Santa went a law-oriented step too far. The sparrows sitting on my
neighbor’s roof, chirping cheerily, were really Santa’s spies, checking to see if I ate my oatmeal!
At least that’s what my mother said.
Having this perspective on Santa’s legalism and sparrows’ treachery, every time I see an
inflatable Santa tethered to someone’s front lawn I have visions of sparrows spilling the news
about me to a disapproving icon of the season. Glad I never got hung up on Santa.
I’m even happier that the Holy Spirit has revealed the truth about Jesus—His first coming and His
next. Today’s Bible reading from Philippians is an Advent text. Paul tells us to rejoice, and he tells
us why. We need not be anxious. He ends this pericope with “And the God of peace will be with
you” (Philippians 4:9b NIV).
December’s hectic pace in most Lutheran schools and congregations may drive us to anxiety and
anything but peace. We suppose the tranquility of the shepherds “abiding in the field, keeping
watch over their flock by night” (Luke 2:8 KJV) should be ours too. Isn’t this what most people
envision with the peace on Earth phrase?
Of course, the shepherds would probably tell us that night’s tranquility is deceptive. All kinds of
potential terrors lurked under the cover of dark. To hope for peace on Earth today is noble, but to
believe it is possible is self-deception. True peace will come when Jesus comes again. For now,
we face a hungry wolf—Satan and his sack full of sins.
Sin has the capacity to ruin Christmas. Worse, sin has the potential of ruining eternity. It isn’t
Santa’s sparrows who report our naughtiness; the devil gleefully does it, informing God how evil
we are. And he probably says something like “This shouldn’t happen in a Lutheran school or
congregation!”
When God looks closely at His list of naughty or nice, he finds our names. He finds it under nice.
And He says to Satan, “What are you talking about?! My Son Jesus, the One whose birth they
are about to celebrate, took away their sins.”
Yes, for Jesus’ sake, God not only redeems us, He also gives us gifts. So go ahead and ask. Tell
God what you want. New cars or healthy bank accounts may not be what He knows to be the
perfect gift—which He has already given. But let your gifts fall within the guidelines of whatever is
true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8).
Ho ho ho? With God and His sack full of blessings, it’s more like HO HO HO.
Prayer Thought: Ask God to relieve your seasonal anxieties. Ask Him to bless you with everything
you need to serve Him and your students. Ask Him to come again.
*Source for all three items: Dave Barry, “Holiday Miracle,” Knight Ridder/Tribune news, December 9, 2003
(www.talkingtp.com)
(www.birddiaper.com)
(www.whizbangbooks.com)
Written by Ed Grube
© 2003 Lutheran Education Association, River Forest, Ill.
Scripture quotations identified as NIV are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright ©
1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.
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