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An Advent Devotional Study from Caring.
Christmastime can carry many mixed emotions—and lots of stress. But this year will be different.
Reserve five minutes a day to read the daily devotional entry in this series and journey through the Christmas season with peace, perspective and hope.
This “Hope and a Future: Advent Devotional Study” will guide you through the month of December to ponder afresh the story of the Bible with Jesus’ birth as the focus. Find daily a reflection, highlighted Scripture, meaningful questions and a prompt for prayer.
Connect with God this Christmas season and experience hope for the future.
December 6: Angel Sent to Galilee
Take a deep breath. Invite the Holy Spirit to guide your thoughts through today’s reflection.
Have you ever been in a rush to tell a story? Maybe sitting across from a friend over lunch and you want to explain all the details, but you can only give the highlights in 30 minutes before returning to work—so you pick which details to include?
The writers of the Gospels only had so much time too (and limited pen and parchment). The Spirit led them to select key highlights to share with readers to help them (and us) see the important details of the story of God.
When Luke shared his story over his “lunch-time” parchment, he penned specific details about the angel visiting Mary. He included that Mary was in Nazareth, a town in Galilee and that she was engaged to a man named Joseph, who was a descendant of David (Luke 1:26–27).
These details mean a whole lot!
First, Isaiah 9:2 tells us a great light will shine in Galilee: “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.”
The Apostle John later wrote in the New Testament: “The light shined in the darkness and the darkness did not overcome it” (John 1:6, referring to Jesus and pointing to Isaiah’s words).
Second, God promised King David that one day someone from his family line would be a forever King and reign in a forever kingdom (1 Samuel 7). So the fact that God chose a descendant of David to raise Jesus as his own son, fulfills this promise as well.
We can confidently trust the story of Christmas because details from the prophets of old, match up.
Read: Hear from God
In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary (Luke 1:26–27).
Reflect: Focus on God
How does the fulfillment of Old Testament prophesies in Jesus’ coming build your faith?
Pray: Talk to God
Talk to God about your reflections above. If you would like a sample prayer, here is one to follow:
Father God, I worship you. Thank you for your Word which confirms itself—from the prophets and promises, to the coming of Jesus. Please help me to see the details of his story so my faith can rest more confidently in who you are and in your Son, Jesus. Amen.
Do Good:
- Looking for a meaningful way to prepare your family for Christmas? Try our new, classic downloadable Advent Paper Chain. For 25 days, reflect on the love we receive from God and give to others during the holiday season.
- Join us in making a difference with The Salvation Army this season and help families in your community during the holidays and beyond.
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