AUGUST 3,  Luke 2:1-7 

Ling scrunched her nose against the viewing window of the hospital nursery. Her baby brother was just five hours old. He lay snuggled in a blue blanket and was wearing a tiny knit cap on his fuzzy head. He whimpered a little and nuzzled into the blanket.

Dad walked up behind Ling and squeezed her shoulders gently. She smiled up at him. “So how does it feel to be a big sister?” Dad asked. Ling answered by doing a complete twirl on her tip-toes, right there in the hall of the hospital. “It feels great!” she said.

A little later, Ling and her father walked hand-in-hand to the MRT station as they had to go to church for Ling’s Bible study on the book of Luke. “Dad, when Jesus was born, do you think he was as little as our baby?” asked Ling thoughtfully. “Maybe even smaller–our little guy is a pretty big boy,” replied Dad. “And you know, babe, the Lord Jesus didn’t have a nice, modern hospital nor a nice, little bassinet to sleep in, like our little baby Kok Seng has.”

“No.” Ling shook her head. “Mrs. Ang, my Sunday school teacher, told us Jesus was born in a stable, far away from home,” she said. “Yes,” Dad replied. “He didn’t have all the comfortable things today’s babies have.”

“Mrs. Ang says Jesus knows just what it’s like to live and grow like we do,” said Ling. The MRT’s stream of cold air made her shiver a little, and she huddled closer to dad. “I guess He knows what it’s like to feel cold, too.”

“That’s true, honey,” said Daddy. “Since He came as a baby and grew up on earth, it helps us know He understands everything that happens to us–both the problems and the good things. Isn’t that wonderful?”

Ling nodded. “Then He knows what it’s like to have a baby brother,” she said with a little bounce. “When my very own baby brother gets big enough, I’m going to make sure he knows all about Jesus being a baby, too!”

Thought: Do you realize Jesus understands all you’re going through?

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for the most precious gift of love in Jesus and that He came as a little baby and grew up on earth just like me. And He understands my problems—temptations, tiredness, loneliness, and everything else. And He can help me go through them! Thank You in His precious name, Amen.