Day Seven: The Twelve Days of Christmas
INTRODUCTION
I once built a balsa-wood glider from scratch. My confidence was strong but my skills, well, not as much. With weak skills and poor results I approached my Dad for help, he was a pilot and an aviation expert. He advised me to rebuild the plane in ways I thought unnecessary, so, I didn’t. My plane didn’t glide, it just struggled to get off the ground.
I should have believed my father.

BELIEVING GOD
What the Father said about his Son, that he would be:
- born in Bethlehem.
- born to a virgin.
- called Emanuel.
- David’s heir.
- anointed with the Spirit.
He said he would be:
- despised
- abandoned
- denied
- betrayed
- pierced
Everything the Father said was true. Do we believe everything the Father says to us? Or, spiritually speaking, are we a plane struggling to get off the ground?
A favorite holiday movie is, “The Polar Express,” a film about kids and the true spirit of Christmas. There is a boy struggling to believe. But then, the Polar Express train eases into Santa’s Village. Later, Santa gives him the first gift of Christmas, a shiny silver bell with a clear beautiful sound, but a sound he couldn’t hear because he didn’t believe. But he soon finds his faith, and…
when he believed he could hear the bell.
IN A FEW DAYS
Millions will celebrate Christmas. With their fireplaces glowing and their stockings filled, wide eyed children will see their gifts under the trees. Within a couple of minutes they will sit knee deep in torn wrapping paper and ripped ribbons. It will be so much fun.
Millions will reflect on the birth of Christ, that Emanuel came, sent by his Father to one day be sacrificed. I’t’s what we needed, it’s why he came. Do we believe?
TO CLOSE
My balsa-wood glider, the 2nd one, looked great and flew like the wind, but not the first one. Nope, I had to start over and build it just like my father said. I should have believed. But hey, be of good cheer, because it’s never too late to start over.
The Father sent his Son, Emanuel, the God who came near to help.
Do you believe?