It is easy to take for granted the Christmas narrative, especially if you have been reading it all your life. What new is there to be heard or learnt?! Plenty.
“Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will lift you up” (James 4.10)
Remember that the Word of God is ALIVE! “For the word of God is living and active” (Hebrews 4:12) That means whenever you read the Bible you can invite the same Spirit that inspired the written Word, to stir up in you the living Word, so that it speaks anew to you every time.
First we have to admit that we don’t know everything! As we humble ourselves before the Lord, he will reveal new things to us, even through familiar stories from the Bible. He desires to bless us and lift us up.
As you begin your Advent journey this year invite God to open your eyes anew to His Word, to reveal Himself to you in new ways and to lift you up closer into his presence.
Use our Countdown to Christmas with Jesus Advent devotional and journal to help you create a regular rhythm of meeting with Jesus every day. You can order copies from the Inspire Book Store here.
Try reading the Christmas story from different translations of the Bible, or pick up a children’s story book. It can help you to see/hear things differently. Remember to pray that God will reveal more of himself as you read.
From The Message – John 1:14
The Word became flesh and blood,
and moved into the neighborhood.
We saw the glory with our own eyes,
the one-of-a-kind glory,
like Father, like Son,
Generous inside and out,
true from start to finish.
From the New King James Version – Luke 2: 4-7
Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
From the International Children’s Bible – Matthew 2: 1-12
Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem in Judea during the time when Herod was king. After Jesus was born, some wise men from the east came to Jerusalem. 2 They asked, “Where is the baby who was born to be the king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east. We came to worship him.”
3 When King Herod heard about this new king of the Jews, he was troubled. And all the people in Jerusalem were worried too. 4 Herod called a meeting of all the leading priests and teachers of the law. He asked them where the Christ would be born. 5 They answered, “In the town of Bethlehem in Judea. The prophet wrote about this in the Scriptures:
6 ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
you are important among the rulers of Judah.
A ruler will come from you.
He will be like a shepherd for my people, the Israelites.’” Micah 5:27 Then Herod had a secret meeting with the wise men from the east. He learned from them the exact time they first saw the star. 8 Then Herod sent the wise men to Bethlehem. He said to them, “Go and look carefully to find the child. When you find him, come tell me. Then I can go worship him too.”
9 The wise men heard the king and then left. They saw the same star they had seen in the east. It went before them until it stopped above the place where the child was. 10 When the wise men saw the star, they were filled with joy. 11 They went to the house where the child was and saw him with his mother, Mary. They bowed down and worshiped the child. They opened the gifts they brought for him. They gave him treasures of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 But God warned the wise men in a dream not to go back to Herod. So they went home to their own country by a different way.
