Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” Luke 2:13-14 NIV

Happy December!

As I countdown to Christmas, I want to anticipate the celebration of Jesus’ incarnation with awe and wonder, as though it were the first Christmas.

Would you like to join me as I prepare my heart to celebrate the birth of our Lord?

Each day, for the next 24 days, I will be sharing a way you and I can joyfully anticipate Christmas.

Today, I begin with Biola University’s Advent Devotionals. These beautiful devotions include artwork, scripture, music, thoughtful notes by professors from Biola.

Here’s an excerpt from today’s devotion:

TITLE: FOSTERING RENEWED HOPE
December 1-7
“Come, thou long expected Jesus, born to set thy people free; from our fears and sins release us, let us find our rest in thee. Israel’s strength and consolation, hope of all the earth thou art.” As this beautiful Christmas hymn proclaims, eternal hope was fulfilled in the person of Christ at his birth in Bethlehem over 2,000 years ago. And He alone is the answer to the most complex challenges facing the world today. J.I. Packer states, “The Christmas message is that there is hope for a ruined humanity–hope of pardon, hope of peace with God, hope of glory–because at the Father’s will Jesus became poor, and was born in a stable so that thirty years later he might hang on a cross.” This week may our spirits soar with the certainty that hope and trust in the Christ of Christmas brings.

Go to http://ccca.biola.edu/advent/2019/#day-dec-1 . You can subscribe for all the advent devotionals.

Peters, Greg. “The Advent Project.” Biola University Center for Christianity, Culture and the Arts, 2019, ccca.biola.edu/advent/2019/#day-dec-1.