December 24 – God With Us

DECEMBER 24 – God With Us

3-Year-Bible Reading: Matthew 1:18–25; Luke 2:1–20

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“She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” — Matthew 1:21

“And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.” — Luke 2:7

“And the angel said to them, ‘Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.’” — Luke 2:10

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Have you ever felt like things weren’t going according to plan? Maybe your expectations got flipped upside down, or you were asked to do something way outside your comfort zone. Joseph and Mary definitely knew that feeling. Joseph didn’t expect his fiancée to be pregnant by the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:18), and Mary surely didn’t picture giving birth in a stable. Yet, in the middle of this chaos, God was doing something amazing. He was sending Jesus, Emmanuel—God with us—to the world. And not just for kings or religious people, but for everyone. The first to hear the news were shepherds—ordinary, overlooked people—yet God invited them into the most important birth announcement in history.

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THINK ABOUT IT

1. God’s Plans > Our Plans: Joseph had to change his plans when God called him to raise Jesus. Are you open to God’s direction, even when it’s unexpected or challenging?

2. No One Is Left Out: The shepherds weren’t the “important” people, yet they were the first to hear about Jesus’ birth. What does that tell you about who God values?

3. Real Joy: The angel said Jesus’ birth was “good news of great joy.” What brings you joy right now? How can Jesus bring you a deeper, lasting joy?

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BOTTOM LINE

Even in the middle of uncertainty or messy situations, God is with you. Jesus came to be close, not distant—and He invites everyone, including you, to be part of His story.

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PRAYER

Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Jesus to be with us, even in our chaos and confusion. Help me trust You, even when life doesn’t go the way I expect. Remind me that You are near and that I matter to You. Let the joy of Jesus fill my heart and guide my steps. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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Welcome to Bible Chat, where we
have devotional conversations

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rooted in Scripture and relevant
for today, December 24th.

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God with us.
Have you ever had a season where

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nothing went according to plan?
Where life felt messy,

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uncertain, and honestly unfair?
That’s the kind of moment the

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Christmas story steps into.
Matthew chapter one verse 21

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says she will bear a son and you
shall call his name Jesus, for

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he will save his people from
their sins.

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Not he will make life easy, not
he will make everything look

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perfect, He will save.
That means he came for the real

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problem, the stuff inside us and
around us that breaks

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everything.
And then Luke chapter 2 verse 7

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says Mary gave birth to her
first born son and wrapped him

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in swaddling clothes and laid
him in a Manger because there

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was no place for them in the
inn.

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The Savior of the world is born
and there isn’t even a room

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available.
No soft landing, no comfort, no

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spotlight, just ordinary people
in an uncomfortable place.

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And God shows up right there.
Then the Angel says in Luke

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chapter 2 verse 10, fear not,
for behold, I bring you good

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news of great joy that will be
for all the people, not just for

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the powerful, not just for the
religious, for all the people.

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And the first ones invited to
witness it are shepherds,

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regular, overlooked, not
impressive by the world

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standards.
That’s God’s heart.

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He comes close to the ones who
feel left out, stressed out and

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worn out.
God with us means you are not

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alone in your confusion, not
alone in your anxiety, not alone

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in your family tension, not
alone in your secret struggles.

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Jesus didn’t come to stay
distant, He came to be near and

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to save you from sin, shame, and
separation from God.

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That’s why Christmas is more
than a tradition, it’s a rescue.

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Let’s pray.
Heavenly Father, thank you for

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sending Jesus, Emmanuel, God
with us when life feels messy

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and unexpected.
Help me trust that you are still

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near.
Thank you that Jesus came to

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save me from my sins and to
bring real joy that lasts.

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Let the good news of Jesus
settle my heart, steady my mind

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and guide my steps today in
Jesus name, Amen.

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Imagine stepping into a new year
with clarity in your spirit,

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strength in your soul, and the
supernatural backing of heaven

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behind every step you take.
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empowers you to produce results,
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Freedom for the Year breaks

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Pre-order your copies today on
Amazon or visit

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prayerscripts.org.
Now I invite you to spend time

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with God in today’s three-year
Bible reading plan, Matthew 118

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to 25 World English Bible.
Now the birth of Jesus Christ

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was like this.
After his mother Mary was

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engaged to Joseph before they
came together, she was found

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pregnant by the Holy Spirit.
Joseph, her husband, being a

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righteous man and not willing to
make her a public example,

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intended to put her away
secretly.

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But when he thought about these
things, behold, an Angel of the

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Lord appeared to him in a dream,
saying, Joseph, son of David.

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Don’t be afraid to take to
yourself Mary as your wife, for

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that which is conceived in her
is of the Holy Spirit.

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She shall give birth to a son.
You shall name him Jesus, for it

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is he who shall save his people
from their sins.

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Now all this has happened that
it might be fulfilled, which was

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spoken by the Lord through the
prophet saying, Behold, the

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virgin shall be with child and
shall give birth to a son.

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They shall call his name a
mantle which is being

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interpreted God with us.
Joseph arose from his sleep and

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did as the Angel of the Lord
commanded him and took his wife

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to himself, and didn’t know her
sexually until she had given

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birth to her first born son.
He named him Jesus.

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Luke 21 to 20 World English
Bible.

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Now in those days a decree went
out from Caesar Augustus that

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all the world should be
enrolled.

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This was the first enrollment
made when Quirinius was governor

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of Syria.
All went to enroll themselves,

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everyone to his own city.
Joseph also went up from Galilee

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out of the city of Nazareth into
Judea to David’s city, which is

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called Bethlehem, because he was
of the house and family of

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David, to enroll himself with
Mary, who was pledged to be

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married to him as wife, being
pregnant while they were there.

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The day had come for her to give
birth.

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She gave birth to her first born
son.

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She wrapped him in bands of
cloth and laid him in a feeding

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through because there was no
room for them in the inn.

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There were shepherds in the same
country staying in the field and

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keeping watch by night over
their flock.

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Behold, an Angel of the Lord
stood by them, and the glory of

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the Lord shone around them, and
they were terrified.

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The Angel said to them, don’t be
afraid.

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For behold, I bring you good
news of great joy, which will be

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to all the people, for there is
born to you today in David’s

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city a Savior who is Christ the
Lord.

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This is the sign to you.
You will find a baby wrapped in

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strips of cloth lying in a
feeding through.

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Suddenly there was with the
Angel a multitude of the

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heavenly army praising God and
saying, Glory to God in the

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highest on earth, peace,
goodwill toward men.

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When the angels went away from
them into the sky, the shepherd

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said to one another, Let’s go to
Bethlehem now and see this thing

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that has happened which the Lord
has made known to us.

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They came with haste and found
both Mary and Joseph, and the

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baby was lying in the feeding
through.

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When they saw it, they
publicized widely the saying

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which was spoken to them about
this child.

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All who heard it wondered at the
things which were spoken to them

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by the shepherds.
But Mary kept all these sayings,

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pondering them in her heart.
The shepherds returned,

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glorifying and praising God for
all the things that they had

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heard and seen, just as it was
told them.

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Thanks for joining us on Bible
Chat, where Scripture meets

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everyday life.
If today’s devotional encouraged

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you, share it with a friend and
be sure to follow the podcast so

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you won’t miss the next
conversation.

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Until next time, stay rooted in
truth, anchored in hope, and

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walking daily with Jesus.

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