Come and Behold Him

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Our older daughter wrote a series of ten easy Christmas devotions entitled “Come and Behold Him.” Ray and I plan to do these devotionals today through Friday and next week from Monday through Friday.  It is a way to see the Christmas story in a whole new way!

First, you find a basket. You may decorate it for Christmas if you like, or you can leave it plain. This is our basket. It once belonged to my Aunt Nan. I thank God for parents who took me to visit my sweet Aunt Nan and for Aunt Nan’s constant love and encouragement from my birth until she passed away a few years ago.

Each day you will place an object representing a part of the story in this simple decorated basket.

This is the devotion for today.

Read: Luke 1:26-38.

Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.” Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God. And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month. For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Discuss: What was Gabriel’s message?

Pray as you reflect on this truth: Nothing is impossible with God (Luke 1:37).

Add to the basket: a Bible, to represent how God told us the good news about Jesus coming to earth.

Today we are placing my first Bible in our basket. I received this small white New Testament for a year of perfect attendance at Sunday School while I was still a baby. I thank God for parents who took me to church to learn about our Savior.

May each of us mamas be like Mary:

“Behold, the bondslave of the Lord;
may it be done to me
according to your word.”
Luke 1:38a

And may we trust this truth:

For nothing will be impossible with God.
Luke 1:37

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Optional Carol: If you would enjoy singing a carol to go along with today’s devotion, you might enjoy “O Come, O Come, Immanuel,” translated by J. M Neale in 1851.

O come, O come, Immanuel,
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.

Refrain:
Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel
shall come to you, O Israel.

O come, O Wisdom from on high,
Who ordered all things mightily;
To us the path of knowledge show
And teach us in its ways to go. Refrain

O come, O King of nations, bind
In one the hearts of all mankind.
Bid all our sad divisions cease
And be yourself our King of Peace. Refrain

 

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