A Christmas Devotion from Kristy Graham

As we approach Christmas this year, Kristy Graham, host of On the Ground with Samaritan’s Purse, shares what has been on her heart during this season. Kristy recently heard her sister-in-law, Cissie Graham Lynch, speak about Mary’s story in the Gospel of Luke, and it encouraged her to dig deeper into that Scripture passage. The Lord convicted Kristy to read these verses, words that she’s read countless times, but now, with new eyes.

“If you haven’t spent time in God’s Word for yourself this season, I encourage you to do it. It’s truly a treasure. He has so many things to teach you and reveal to you personally.”—Kristy

In Luke 1, the angel appeared to Mary and told her that she was going to give birth to the Son of God, and she was faithfully obedient to the Lord. Kristy points out four character qualities Mary possessed that we can implement in our own day-to-day lives: submission, fellowship, suffering, and praise.

The first discipline Kristy delved into was submission. When the angel appeared before Mary and she was told this life-changing news, she had some questions, yet responded with obedience, submitting to the Will of the Lord. “I am the servant of the Lord” Luke 1:38 (ESV). Kristy talks about how far too often we aren’t listening and reading God’s Word, so we’re not hearing the Holy Spirit. But if we’re faithful in the little, we can be entrusted with much, like Mary.

“I was challenged. I need to submit daily. Die to myself and not give in to my feelings or my desires…They’re daily choices that we have.”—Kristy

Next, Kristy talked about the second discipline, which is fellowship. In our culture today, we tend to have our guards up. We’re less inclined to share what is really going on in our lives, but Mary set an example for us. Once the angel departed from her, the next recorded action Mary took was visiting her cousin, Elizabeth. Elizabeth is overjoyed by the news, and she is quick to encourage Mary in her calling.

“When He calls you to do something, even if it’s radical in the world’s eyes, we need people supporting us, pushing us to step out in faith. And Mary and Elizabeth had that fellowship. They supported and carried one another’s joys and burdens. And they pushed each other to run after what God had called them to do.”—Kristy

Then, Kristy shared about the third discipline, which is the hardest one: suffering. The Christian life isn’t easy, but suffering has a purpose when we’re following Christ. This call on Mary’s life was not a path without suffering; instead, it was riddled with sacrifices. Kristy talks about Simeon, the man who recognizes Jesus as the Messiah when Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to Jerusalem. He told Mary and Joseph that Jesus would be the rise and fall of many.

“There’s a cost. The cross would break [Mary’s] heart. As the mother, the pain and the sorrow from the cross would pierce her soul. But through that would come salvation. [Jesus’] death would bring healing and salvation.”—Kristy

Finally, Kristy discussed the discipline of praise. There is so much we can praise God for, no matter the circumstances we are facing. As Believers, we have a hope and a promise that can never be taken away from us. We need to cling to the Bible and read of His faithfulness to His people, His history of redemption, across the span of millenia and of millenia to come.

“We can praise Him for what He’s done, what He’s doing, and what He will do.”—Kristy

This Christmas season, amid its busyness and challenges, we hope you also will experience the joy that is yours in Jesus Christ as you celebrate His arrival—the King of Kings stooping down to weakness in a lowly manger. We’d like to encourage you to spend time in fellowship with other believers, to read the Word of God, and to praise our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Word become flesh to live among us. If you’d like to keep up to date with more stories on the ground, please visit samaritanspurse.org.

“…though he was in the form of God, [He] did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” Philippians 2:6-11 (ESV).”