Sunday, December 1, 2013

Happy December! And happy first day of Advent!


I had such good time in the Word today and it was a great way to start the advent season. A lot of this is from the devotion and my study Bible and not my own thoughts, but I just wanted to share. 

The advent devotion that I started this morning goes through "The Songs of Christmas." I feel like knowing and spending time learning the meaning of the songs I hear every season will give me a new view on these songs and be able to worship Christ in a new way. 

The scripture that went along with the devotion was Luke 2:13-14 "And suddenly there was with the angel  a multitude of the heavenly host (thousands of angels) praising God  and saying "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased!"
Jesus kept me right here and I stayed in this passage for a while. This is a familiar text that is read during the advent season, but God was gracious to give it new meaning for me today.

The notes for verse 14in my Study Bible:
Angels are proclaiming the news about Jesus. 

He is the eternal, omnipotent, Son of God. 

He is taking on the “form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.” Phil 2:7

The “fullness of time” has now come.

God has “sent forth His Son born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law.” Gal 4:4-5

Jesus is the “Prince of Peace” prophesied by Isaiah in chapter 9 verse 6.

He is fulfilling promises by His birth!

The devotion material was on the Chris Tomlin song “Angels We Have Heard on High” and I just so happened to be already listening to it when I saw that was the song for today. 

His birth radiated glory. The glory was so bright that the shepherds went to find the source. In Luke 2:15 they say “let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing…”

Shepherds why this jubilee?
Why your joyous strains prolong?
What the gladsome tidings be
Which inspire your Heavenly song?

So I’m reading this, and I’m like, wait. In the scripture it says that Angels are praising, thousands of them to be exact, but what are the shepherds doing? The song says they are singing. So I look back at the text in Luke and Luke 2:20 says “And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told to them.”

I don’t know about you, but I’ve always just sung that part and never really listened to the words and sung from the heart. But now that I have spent time in that passage, I can!

Jesus entered the earth in the same way He enters our hearts: right in the middle of the mess! You know, the manager, with the farm animals, to Mary and Joseph. Just like He didn’t look for a palace to be His birthplace and an earthly throne His dwelling, so does he not look for clean hearts to come into of perfect people who have it all figured out.Praise the Lord!

He came for us, that He could dwell in our hearts. Ephesians 3:17 “…so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith…” while we were still sinners. Romans 5:8

This is what He has been telling us since birth, an invitation that never expires:

Come to Bethlehem and see
Him whose birth the Angels sing
Come adore on bended knee
Christ our Lord, the new born King!

Let us join with the shepherds and the Angels in the awe of the birth of the humble Son of God that came for us!

Here’s the link to the Advent plan if you’re interested! 

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