Each week leading up to Christmas…
I will be posting one devotional from the four week Christmas devotional I wrote last year.
Click here for the link to a free pdf download of the entire book:
Will you join me in making Christ the center of this Christmas? This is a tool to help you do that…
Each week’s focus is a bit different:
Week 1: The Description
Week 2: The Purpose
Week 3: The Manifestation
Week 4: The Importance and Rewards
5 Devotions per week in a pdf file. Space to write. Lyrics and links to music of the Christmas season that go with each devotion.
Now here is the first devotion for you:
Day 1: The Description: Becoming Flesh
John 1:14
“14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
1 Timothy 3:16
“16 Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness:
He was manifested in the flesh,
vindicated by the Spirit,
seen by angels,
proclaimed among the nations,
believed on in the world,
taken up in glory.”
This is the mystery of Godliness: His mission to be flesh starting off as a baby. God coming as a baby in order to be like us, fulfilling what it is to be perfection. Sacrificing Himself to bring us to Himself.
This is the mystery of Godliness: His vindication through His resurrection after being crucified.
This is the mystery of Godliness: His victory…even the angels witnessed His power over all spiritual forces.
This is the mystery of Godliness: The proclamation of His gospel has broken the barriers of race and religion to reach all nations.
This is the mystery of Godliness: People all over the world have believed, do believe, will believe in Him for salvation.
This is the mystery of Godliness: He was taken up into glory.
And GREAT is this mystery. How privileged we are to know it…to have it!
If you can, look into the eyes of a baby this Christmas and imagine what it would’ve been like to look into Jesus’s baby eyes. The eyes of a baby whose mission was to one day be a victor who would break down walls of race, religion, language and social standing in order to reconcile ultimately to Himself. A most zealous soldier, desiring victory for His name which is mercy, justice, righteousness and peace. He would fight not by His sword but by His enemy’s sword allowing it to bring him to the cross and plunge into His own side.
The only man to choose to be born…because He is the God Man. This was this babe’s mission…by choice.
To do right now: Meditate on the above verses. Listen to the song: From the Squalor of a Borrowed Stable (move your browser over the link, hit the Ctrl key and left click at the same time to listen on youtube.com, lyrics on the next page). This song gives us a larger life view of the baby in the nativity and takes us beyond it. Write a prayer or journal your thoughts.
Image: Altdorfer, Albrecht, Nativity, c. 1513
What a thorough introduction.and generous offer. I will be doing an advent study with a friend starting tomorrow morning. I’m really excited about it. Reading your post has fanned the flames of my enthusiasm. I’m visiting from Still Saturday. Bless you!
God bless you in your advent study! Thank you for visiting!
I’m visiting from the Faith-Filed Fridays link-up. Looks like a great eBook. Thanks for the download.
Thank you for visiting here!
It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things into which angels long to look. – 1 Peter 1:12
We are so blessed !
Love this devotional, and have downloaded the pdf… thanks so much for sharing both! And thanks for linking up through Recommendation Saturday!
Heart Hugs, Shelly <3
Thank you for your interest and taking the time to read it. God bless you as you meditate on Christ this Christmas!
I want to add that this great mystery of Godliness is complete in every life where Jesus is allowed to live His life in and through us!! This never ceases to amaze me and fill me with gratitude; that Man who hung on the cross, now lives in me as our Life!
Blessings XX
Mia
Amen sister!! Thank you for always being an encouragement to me here…
Beautiful! You’re right that it’s so important to take time to reflect on Christ and what He did at Christmas in this season. It’s easy to get busy with other things, so thanks for the reminder to celebrate our Savior. I’m dropping by from Faith Filled Fridays. 🙂
Thank you…and thanks for visiting…blessings to you as you focus on Him this season…
First of all, thanks for this free devotional, Amy! My husband and I like to do something of a “family” devotion time this time of year, so this is great to have! And it’s interesting that you’ve focused on the mysteries of Christ today. I’m reading through Luke and read Luke 8:10 this morning and was pondering the mysterious way that Christ moves. We can’t predict it. We can’t control it. And we definitely can’t understand it without His grace and mercy. Thanks for the additional verses you’ve shared and the wisdom you’ve brought to the subject, my friend!
I’m so glad this fit with what you were already meditating on. I hope that, if you use this devotional, it will bless you. Thanks for visiting!
Oh yes friend…that we might look into the eyes of the Savior this season! The peace, and joy, and freedom there! I needed this today! ~ Jen
Blessings to you as you seek to meditate on him during this beautiful Christmas season!