THREE ANGELS BROADCASTING NETWORK DEVOTIONAL.
The Saving Light.
By Elena Utkina
April 14th, 2026
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
Psalm 119:105
This story happened on New Year's Eve many years ago, back in the days of the Soviet Union. Christmas was not celebrated very much back then, but New Year’s Day was an important and fun holiday.
My mom Gena and her little brother Gene were all looking forward to a wonderful holiday. First, they could stay up all night! Second, they would enjoy some delicious cake. And, last but not least, when the clock struck twelve, everyone would run to the “New Year’s Tree,” where there were gifts!
“It will be fun!” Gene said as he clapped his hands.
“Yes, it will. But tomorrow is the holiday, and we still don’t have a tree,” their sister Alya said.
“Then let’s cut down the tree ourselves,” Gena said. “The forest is just out back!”
They all agreed it was a good idea and ran to the barn to get the ax. In the evening, their mom and dad would come and bring the tree indoors. “Won’t they be surprised?” the children squealed with joy.
“Who will be surprised?” asked the neighbor kids, Kolya and Katya, who had just walked up.
“Mom and Dad,” Gena blurted out. “Let’s go!”
“Can we come with you? We don’t have a tree, either.”
“Sure, let’s go. The more the merrier!”
Off to the forest they marched, and soon Gene was pointing to a tall spruce tree.
“Look, how beautiful!” he said.
“But it won’t fit in the room,” Alya answered. “We have to go farther into the forest,” and so they did.
“Here’s the one we need. A small and fluffy one,” Alya exclaimed. “Gena, you hold the branches, and I’ll chop it down.”
Satisfied with their tree, they dragged it home. But suddenly Kolya and Katya said, “Okay. But where’s our tree?”
“Oh, we forgot. Let’s go find one for you, too,” the others answered.
Kolya looked for a long time before he found the one he liked. They cut it down, but suddenly everyone noticed it was getting dark.
“Let’s go, quickly,” Alya urged them.
“I think we’re going in the wrong direction,” Kolya said. “I think home is this way.”
“No, it’s that way,” Alya argued, and this went on until little Gene began to cry.
“I want to go home!” he wailed.
“Don’t cry, Gene. We’ll find our way home,” Alya reassured her brother, although she felt like crying, too.
The children abandoned the tree and began to wade through the snow drifts, trying to find a gap between the trees. The cold intensified, and the forest seemed to never end. Then finally, exhausted by their efforts and the cold, Alya shouted, “Look! There’s a light!”
The children quickened their pace and approached a wooden house in a small clearing. It was the forester’s house, and there they were warmed, fed, and put to bed until the next morning when their parents came for them.
“That was a holiday to remember,” my mom told me, with tears in her eyes.
Like foolish children, sometimes we wander far away from our Heavenly Father’s home, but His Light always helps us find our way back.
The Saving Light.
By Elena Utkina
April 14th, 2026
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
Psalm 119:105
This story happened on New Year's Eve many years ago, back in the days of the Soviet Union. Christmas was not celebrated very much back then, but New Year’s Day was an important and fun holiday.
My mom Gena and her little brother Gene were all looking forward to a wonderful holiday. First, they could stay up all night! Second, they would enjoy some delicious cake. And, last but not least, when the clock struck twelve, everyone would run to the “New Year’s Tree,” where there were gifts!
“It will be fun!” Gene said as he clapped his hands.
“Yes, it will. But tomorrow is the holiday, and we still don’t have a tree,” their sister Alya said.
“Then let’s cut down the tree ourselves,” Gena said. “The forest is just out back!”
They all agreed it was a good idea and ran to the barn to get the ax. In the evening, their mom and dad would come and bring the tree indoors. “Won’t they be surprised?” the children squealed with joy.
“Who will be surprised?” asked the neighbor kids, Kolya and Katya, who had just walked up.
“Mom and Dad,” Gena blurted out. “Let’s go!”
“Can we come with you? We don’t have a tree, either.”
“Sure, let’s go. The more the merrier!”
Off to the forest they marched, and soon Gene was pointing to a tall spruce tree.
“Look, how beautiful!” he said.
“But it won’t fit in the room,” Alya answered. “We have to go farther into the forest,” and so they did.
“Here’s the one we need. A small and fluffy one,” Alya exclaimed. “Gena, you hold the branches, and I’ll chop it down.”
Satisfied with their tree, they dragged it home. But suddenly Kolya and Katya said, “Okay. But where’s our tree?”
“Oh, we forgot. Let’s go find one for you, too,” the others answered.
Kolya looked for a long time before he found the one he liked. They cut it down, but suddenly everyone noticed it was getting dark.
“Let’s go, quickly,” Alya urged them.
“I think we’re going in the wrong direction,” Kolya said. “I think home is this way.”
“No, it’s that way,” Alya argued, and this went on until little Gene began to cry.
“I want to go home!” he wailed.
“Don’t cry, Gene. We’ll find our way home,” Alya reassured her brother, although she felt like crying, too.
The children abandoned the tree and began to wade through the snow drifts, trying to find a gap between the trees. The cold intensified, and the forest seemed to never end. Then finally, exhausted by their efforts and the cold, Alya shouted, “Look! There’s a light!”
The children quickened their pace and approached a wooden house in a small clearing. It was the forester’s house, and there they were warmed, fed, and put to bed until the next morning when their parents came for them.
“That was a holiday to remember,” my mom told me, with tears in her eyes.
Like foolish children, sometimes we wander far away from our Heavenly Father’s home, but His Light always helps us find our way back.
THREE ANGELS BROADCASTING NETWORK DEVOTIONAL.
The Saving Light.
By Elena Utkina
April 14th, 2026
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
Psalm 119:105
This story happened on New Year's Eve many years ago, back in the days of the Soviet Union. Christmas was not celebrated very much back then, but New Year’s Day was an important and fun holiday.
My mom Gena and her little brother Gene were all looking forward to a wonderful holiday. First, they could stay up all night! Second, they would enjoy some delicious cake. And, last but not least, when the clock struck twelve, everyone would run to the “New Year’s Tree,” where there were gifts!
“It will be fun!” Gene said as he clapped his hands.
“Yes, it will. But tomorrow is the holiday, and we still don’t have a tree,” their sister Alya said.
“Then let’s cut down the tree ourselves,” Gena said. “The forest is just out back!”
They all agreed it was a good idea and ran to the barn to get the ax. In the evening, their mom and dad would come and bring the tree indoors. “Won’t they be surprised?” the children squealed with joy.
“Who will be surprised?” asked the neighbor kids, Kolya and Katya, who had just walked up.
“Mom and Dad,” Gena blurted out. “Let’s go!”
“Can we come with you? We don’t have a tree, either.”
“Sure, let’s go. The more the merrier!”
Off to the forest they marched, and soon Gene was pointing to a tall spruce tree.
“Look, how beautiful!” he said.
“But it won’t fit in the room,” Alya answered. “We have to go farther into the forest,” and so they did.
“Here’s the one we need. A small and fluffy one,” Alya exclaimed. “Gena, you hold the branches, and I’ll chop it down.”
Satisfied with their tree, they dragged it home. But suddenly Kolya and Katya said, “Okay. But where’s our tree?”
“Oh, we forgot. Let’s go find one for you, too,” the others answered.
Kolya looked for a long time before he found the one he liked. They cut it down, but suddenly everyone noticed it was getting dark.
“Let’s go, quickly,” Alya urged them.
“I think we’re going in the wrong direction,” Kolya said. “I think home is this way.”
“No, it’s that way,” Alya argued, and this went on until little Gene began to cry.
“I want to go home!” he wailed.
“Don’t cry, Gene. We’ll find our way home,” Alya reassured her brother, although she felt like crying, too.
The children abandoned the tree and began to wade through the snow drifts, trying to find a gap between the trees. The cold intensified, and the forest seemed to never end. Then finally, exhausted by their efforts and the cold, Alya shouted, “Look! There’s a light!”
The children quickened their pace and approached a wooden house in a small clearing. It was the forester’s house, and there they were warmed, fed, and put to bed until the next morning when their parents came for them.
“That was a holiday to remember,” my mom told me, with tears in her eyes.
Like foolish children, sometimes we wander far away from our Heavenly Father’s home, but His Light always helps us find our way back.
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