Why Celebrating Christmas Is a Good Thing

Before doing this short study, please read the 1-minute Bible Love Note Why Celebrate? as an introduction. 

Even though Christmas has been commercialized by our culture, we shouldn't underestimate the value of holidays, i.e. holy-days. 

God instituted a number of Old Testament festivals as foreshadowing of Christ. Read 7 Feasts that Point to Christ. 

The Lord wanted His people to enjoy and celebrate their faith in Old Testament times, and He wants us to do the same. 

What reasons for celebrating are provided in the passages below?

Deuteronomy 11:18-21: Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth.

Do you talk about the Christmas story during the holidays? Do your Christmas decorations remind you and your family of Christ? 

Years ago, I created tree decorations with various names of Christ from Scripture. For example, Prince of Peace, Savior, Alpha and Omega, Messiah, Lamb of God. 

When my grandchildren were small, I created a "play nativity set" so they could incorporate the story of Christ's birth into their playtime during the holidays. I share how I made this in Helping Kids Focus on Christ. 

Psalm 105:1-5: Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always. Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced...

Why not create a family time during Christmas when you gather to remind each other of the wonderful blessings God has given, sharing your testimonies, and ending in prayer.

I also recommend the one-minute devotion Think God is Against a Party? Think Again!

See 8 Steps to a More Meaningful Christmas and The Symbol of the Christmas Tree.

copyright 2015, Gail Burton Purath, BiteSizeBibleStudy, edited and updated 2024

Don't Change Your Name: A Short Bible Study About Naomi

Before doing this Bible study, please read the 1-minute introduction Bitter is a Bad Name. It's about Naomi's bitter attitude after the death of her son and her husband. No one would disagree that she had some terrible circumstances in her life. But Naomi overlooked some very important blessings God was giving her.

So let's look at some elements of this story and carefully examine our hearts for similar attitudes: 

1. Naomi was focused on herself, blaming God, and unable to sympathize with her grieving daughters-in-law.  

Have you gotten so focused on your difficulties that you've ignored the difficulties of others? 

Ruth 1:11-13: Naomi said, “Return home, my daughters. Why would you come with me? Am I going to have any more sons, who could become your husbands? 12 Return home, my daughters; I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me—even if I had a husband tonight and then gave birth to sons— 13 would you wait until they grew up? Would you remain unmarried for them? No, my daughters. It is more bitter for me than for you, because the LORD’s hand has turned against me!” 

Yes, Naomi had lost her husband and sons, but Ruth had lost her husband before they had opportunity to have children.   

2. Naomi showed no regard for Ruth's spiritual health. 

Have your troubles caused you to lose interest in eternal values? Are you bitter toward God? 

Ruth 1:15-18: “Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her.” 16 But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.” 18 When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her.  

This is Ruth's statement of faith. We don't know if she had converted to her husband's faith when she married him, but she genuinely believed and trusted the true and living God at this point. Yet, Naomi was encouraging her to return to her pagan gods. This is perhaps the cruelest, most selfish thing Naomi could do.

3. Naomi couldn't see the blessings right in front of her eyes. 

Have you lost your perspective on God's many blessings?

Ruth 1:19-20: So the two women went on until they came to Bethlehem. When they arrived in Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them, and the women exclaimed, “Can this be Naomi?” 20 “Don’t call me Naomi,” she told them. “Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter. 21 I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The LORD has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me.” 

Naomi suffered great losses--the death of her husband and two adult sons. But she overlooked some important blessings in her life. She had left a land of famine and was now in a land of plenty. She had a daughter-in-law who vowed to care for her and Ruth did that in very tangible ways as the story continued. Naomi's attitude made her grieving worse.

 Ask God to speak to you through this true Bible story. What is He saying to you? 

For more insights on Naomi and Ruth, I encourage you to read these devotions:

Was Naomi a Good Mom-in-Law?

The Cost of Selfishness 

copyright 2015, Gail Burton Purath, BiteSizeBibleStudy.com, updated in 2023

5 Verses to Help You Face Injustice: Bible Study

Before doing this Bible study, read the 1-minute introduction Mistreated or Misunderstood?  It offers 5 important things to remember when we're dealing with anger, fear, resentment, or sorrow.

1. Remember that Jesus is our example. 

Nothing we experience can compare to what Jesus did for us. He humbled Himself, he didn't demand the glory and honor He deserved, and He died a criminal's death to save us.

Philippians 2:5-8: In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!

Reading the passage above can be an encouragement when we are in the midst of a difficulty, especially a relationship difficulty. Remembering Christ's humility should help us maintain our own humility. 

See Over 30 Scriptures About Humility.

2. Remember that Jesus fully understands our pain. 

He's been in our shoes and knows how we feel. He can fully sympathize and fully comfort us. 

Hebrews 2:14-18: Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. 16 For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants. 17 For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. 18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

We can take our concerns, sorrows, anger, bitterness, and resentments to the Lord. He never sinned in the ways we sin, but He understands the challenges we face.

See Jesus Understands Our Pain.

3. Move in the opposite spirit. 

It's extremely difficult to return good for evil, but it will mature our faith in a powerful way. 

Romans 12:21: Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

I have successfully done this at times and it hasn't always changed the other person, but it's changed me, helping me forgive. 

See Didn't Want to Do It, But Did It Anyway. 

4. Transform your thinking.

Dwelling on God's Word keeps us from dwelling on our hurt, pain, and injustice. Reading God's Word, having regular Christian fellowship and taking our concerns to God in prayer help us stay grounded during times of injustice.

Colossians 3:15-16: Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 

I desperately need to focus on specific Scripture passages when I'm dealing with difficulties. God's Word has power to change our hearts and lives.

See A Practical Method for Overcoming Sin.

5. Believe God will use your sorrow for good. 

At the very least God can use our difficulties to help us mature in our faith, but He often does far more than we can imagine.

Romans 8:28: And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Sometimes I am absolutely amazed how God can and does use bad in my life for good.

See Do You Believe It?

I encourage you to check out the Wisdom for Life Devotional. It contains 100 one-minute devotions to challenge, encourage, instruct, and inspire your love for God's Word. Read the story behind Wisdom for Life HERE. And find out about the two free Bible studies with purchase HERE.

 

copyright, Gail Burton Purath, BiteSizeBibleStudy.com, updated in 2023