Daily Scripture Threshing for Sunday, December 24, 2023
Today’s Text: Isaiah 9:1-7
Key Verse: Isaiah 9:2 (ESV): “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.”

Perhaps the very best of my favorite Christmas songs is “O Holy Night.” My earliest access to the words of this song is “O Holy Light!” That’s what I thought it says, and I sang it so confidently and it made sense to me until I was corrected. But I was actually really right. The entire essence of Christmas is the birth of Jesus Christ, who is our world’s true light. Indeed, the song reminds us that aside from our Savior, the world is filled with nothing but darkness until Jesus shows up in the middle of our night to shed His light on us.
On this eve of Christmas, we are therefore reminded of the reality of Christmas. This is what our minds should be filled with during this whole season; the fact that Jesus sends His light upon our night. No more shall we focus on the night and all it’s mares—the negatives: the decays in the society, safely issues, financially instability, the depression or anxiety caused by events in this year and years gone by, etc. On this eve of Christmas, let us take time to reflect on what the light of Christ does to our gloomy night, and we will find deeper reasons to celebrate during a season that has been so rough and tough.
Two phrases within “O Holy Night” should comfort us regardless of the night: First is the phrase “the weary world rejoices.” Do you feel weary as you prepare for this Christmas? Are you burdened by your thoughts of the year, or how to make it through to the coming year? You are not alone. But we can celebrate Christ because He gives us light, joy, grace, and hope. So, we can rejoice in thought the world is weary. Matthew 11:28-30 affirms that the reason God sent His Son is so that the weary world may find the Savior. It says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
The second phrase is, “the soul felt its worth.” And we must not miss that part. Because not only do we have the hope that Jesus acknowledges and brings light to our wearied world, but we are now given purpose and worth. My friend, you matter. You have immense worth in the eyes of your Savior. “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3:17). The birth of Jesus Christ means that we can place hope in a Savior who wants to save us from the glooms of our nights and give us His light.
Quote for the Day: “The Christ of Christmas offers us full confidence in the fact that we have a Savior who loves us so much that He is coming for us if we can fall on our knees and hear the angels’ voices.”
Prayer: Dear Lord and Father, in a world shrouded in darkness, desperately seeking a guiding light to lead us out, please let your divine light penetrate the darkest corners of my soul, spirit and body. Let your healing grace flow through my veins in the midst of this overwhelming darkness — in Jesus’ name. Amen.
I wish you all a very Merry Christmas with all my love and prayers,
Rev Simon Wale Olatunji, Ph.D.
Your Darling Bishop (DaBishop)
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[Daily Scripture Threshing is a devotional guide of The House of Prayer Evangel Church USA distributed for free use by individuals, small groups, families, and Christian churches]
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