Swaddling Clothes, Episode 9 (12/6/2021)
Episode 9: Swaddling Clothes
"And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 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
I am nothing but tattered sack cloth, burlap unraveling from years of use. Yet here I am wrapped snuggly around a precious newborn baby, keeping him warm. I am nothing. If you walked over me on the ground you would take no notice of me. Why was I elevated to a position of such importance that I am responsible for keeping such a priceless gift warm in this once dreadful damp and dark cave, now illuminated by the light of a glorious star above? Surely this child is special. Why wasn’t he born in a castle with servants and fine silks and fabrics against his tender body? I am nothing but a remnant, yet there is no other place I’d rather be, right now.
This Christmas you can help keep Jesus warm by offering him your heart to be the swaddling clothes that wrap him tight. You may not think that you’re very special, but learn from me that Jesus, our newborn king, isn’t looking for fancy fabrics or fine silk to keep him warm. What he most wants is to be wrapped in your heart and kept warm by your love.
Jesus, let your mercy make my heart the perfect place for you to rest. Let me offer you my heart and not hold back. Fill me with joy that you want to be so close to me. Amen.
Prayer Starter for Parents
"Why was I elevated to a position of such importance that I am responsible for keeping such a priceless gift warm?" We often struggle to appreciate our great value and worth before the Lord. Like the swaddling clothes, we might say to the Lord: "Who am I that I should be so close to Jesus?" But that's exactly where he wants us, close to himself. He has given us a great dignity and worth than we can ever imagine! It's important to keep teaching and reminding our children of this truth. The world we live in is harsh and has very little sense of the dignity of the human person. As you pray with your kids today, tell them that you want to share with them what God thinks of them, the truth of how he made them. Let them know that these are words God himself inspired in Psalm 8, then pray this for them:
"I look at the heavens,
which you made with your hands.
I see the moon and stars,
which you created.
But why is man important to you?
Why do you take care of human beings?
You made man a little lower than the angels.
And you crowned him with glory and honor.
You put him in charge of everything you made.
You put all things under his control:
all the sheep, the cattle
and the wild animals,
the birds in the sky,
the fish in the sea,
and everything that lives under water.
Lord our Master,
your name is the most wonderful name in all the earth!"
Psalm 8:3-9
Episode 9: Swaddling Clothes
"And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 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
I am nothing but tattered sack cloth, burlap unraveling from years of use. Yet here I am wrapped snuggly around a precious newborn baby, keeping him warm. I am nothing. If you walked over me on the ground you would take no notice of me. Why was I elevated to a position of such importance that I am responsible for keeping such a priceless gift warm in this once dreadful damp and dark cave, now illuminated by the light of a glorious star above? Surely this child is special. Why wasn’t he born in a castle with servants and fine silks and fabrics against his tender body? I am nothing but a remnant, yet there is no other place I’d rather be, right now.
This Christmas you can help keep Jesus warm by offering him your heart to be the swaddling clothes that wrap him tight. You may not think that you’re very special, but learn from me that Jesus, our newborn king, isn’t looking for fancy fabrics or fine silk to keep him warm. What he most wants is to be wrapped in your heart and kept warm by your love.
Jesus, let your mercy make my heart the perfect place for you to rest. Let me offer you my heart and not hold back. Fill me with joy that you want to be so close to me. Amen.
Prayer Starter for Parents
"Why was I elevated to a position of such importance that I am responsible for keeping such a priceless gift warm?" We often struggle to appreciate our great value and worth before the Lord. Like the swaddling clothes, we might say to the Lord: "Who am I that I should be so close to Jesus?" But that's exactly where he wants us, close to himself. He has given us a great dignity and worth than we can ever imagine! It's important to keep teaching and reminding our children of this truth. The world we live in is harsh and has very little sense of the dignity of the human person. As you pray with your kids today, tell them that you want to share with them what God thinks of them, the truth of how he made them. Let them know that these are words God himself inspired in Psalm 8, then pray this for them:
"I look at the heavens,
which you made with your hands.
I see the moon and stars,
which you created.
But why is man important to you?
Why do you take care of human beings?
You made man a little lower than the angels.
And you crowned him with glory and honor.
You put him in charge of everything you made.
You put all things under his control:
all the sheep, the cattle
and the wild animals,
the birds in the sky,
the fish in the sea,
and everything that lives under water.
Lord our Master,
your name is the most wonderful name in all the earth!"
Psalm 8:3-9
Welcome to the St. John the Evangelist’s Advent Podcast. Today is Episode 9, and I am Swaddling Clothes!
And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 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 Chapter 2: verse 7.
I am nothing but tattered sack cloth, burlap unraveling from years of use. Yet here I am wrapped snuggly around a precious newborn baby, keeping him warm. I a9m nothing. If you walked over me on the ground you would take no notice of me. Why was I elevated to a position of such importance that I am responsible for keeping such a priceless gift warm in this once dreadful damp and dark cave, now illuminated by the light of a glorious star above? Surely this child is special. Why wasn’t he born in a castle with servants and fine silks and fabrics against his tender body? I am nothing but a remnant, yet there is no other place I’d rather be, right now.
This Christmas you can help keep Jesus warm by offering him your heart to be the swaddling clothes that wrap him tight. You may not think that you’re very special, but learn from me that Jesus, our newborn king, isn’t looking for fancy fabrics or fine silk to keep him warm. What he most wants is to be wrapped in your heart and kept warm by your love.
Jesus, let your mercy make my heart the perfect place for you to rest. Let me offer you my heart and not hold back. Fill me with joy that you want to be so close to me. Amen.
Thank you for listening to our podcast!
Tune in tomorrow for Episode 10 when we will hear from the Angel who Sang Gloria.
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