I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is Christmas Eve, the 24th of December, 2024, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today.

Now folks, it is probably the most important evening of the whole year! This is the night that we celebrate the birth of our beloved Saviour, dearest Friend, Jesus Christ. We go straight to the Gospel of Matthew 1:21:

“And she (Mary) will bring forth a Son (Jesus), and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.”

I want us to have just a little bit of a cautious thought about things. I know it is very hectic, especially for mothers in the home, making sure that the food is all prepared; the decorations have been put up; the extra beds have been made because Aunty and Uncle are coming to spend Christmas Eve with you; and the Christmas presents for the children for tomorrow, are all being wrapped up. In the hectic attitude of this season, do not forget the baby!  Do not forget that beloved baby -  it makes me want to cry. You know, behind me in my prayer room, I have a beautiful picture of the nativity, of Joseph, of Mary and of that little Darling, from Heaven, Jesus Christ. In the busyness of our lives, let us never forget the main thing. The main thing is, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. It is so easy to get so busy that we forget the main reason for Christmas Eve.

I want to tell you a little story. I was sitting right here in the same chair in my prayer room, and I heard little footsteps coming through the door of my prayer room, where nobody comes except my immediate family, and I looked around and there was my little granddaughter, she is only about five or six years old. She looked very shy because she knew I was busy, but praise God, she felt she could come and approach her grandfather, and she said, “Kulu”, with those big eyes. She was holding a tube, a bicycle tube in her hand, and I said, “What’s wrong?” She said, “My bicycle has got a puncture, and my cousin (who lives over the road) is coming to see me and we are going to go for a ride but my bicycle is not working. Could you help me?” (I am getting emotional!) I said, “Of course.” I stopped everything. I went out, I fixed the puncture at the back but there was also a puncture at the front. I fixed that. Then she had no oil for her chain, so we put oil on the chain. Then the seat was just a little bit high because it used to belong to her big brother, so I adjusted the seat. Then her cousin arrived and that little thing, if I had bought her a Lear Jet, it would not have meant the same, and off they went cycling together.

Please look after your children, especially the smallest ones. Do not neglect them at this time. Jesus loves the little children. 

Have a very precious Christmas Eve,
God bless you and goodbye.