The Wonder of Christmas
Introduction
wonder /’wəndər/
noun
a feeling of surprise mingled with admiration, caused by something beautiful, unexpected, unfamiliar, or inexplicable.
Christmas time has always been a season of wonder, a meeting of the ordinary and miraculous that captures our hearts and minds and inspires us to be better versions of ourselves. It seems though that this season of wonder, of expecting the unexpected, and getting caught up in the beauty of the story, is often drowned out by the busyness of the season; the big commercial racket, and the keeping up of appearances. Perhaps some of the wonder of Christmas is also lost when the season is accompanied by hurt, and grief, and loss.
This season, I invite you to set aside some time each day to once again get caught up in the true wonder of Christmas. As you take time each day to read a devotion, to pray, to listen for God’s voice, and to look for the places where God is at work, I believe you will experience the beauty and the inexplicable of this season, that God desires to be with us.
This is what Christmas is about; that God loves us so much that he desires to be with us. We see this in the birth of Christ, our Immanuel, our God with us, and we celebrate it in the season of Advent where we wait for Christ’s second coming, and our forever reign with him. All of scripture points to this desire of God to be with us, to redeem us, and to make us holy so that we can be with him forever. This truly is a wonder.
My prayer for you is that this devotional, written by staff and members of Port Charlotte UMC, will help you experience the most wonderful thing of all this Christmas season, as you encounter Christ in his word and through prayer. As you do, may his hope, peace, love, and joy fill your life, and may you share that wonder with others.
Happy Advent and Merry Christmas!
Pastor Denvil Farley
The Wonder of a Star
Nov 28 – God Speaks, Genesis 1:1-4
Nov 29 – Expecting a King, Matthew 2:1-2
Nov 30 – Wonder, Joy and Adoration, Matthew 2:9-11
Dec 1 – The Way, The Truth, The Life, John 14:5-7
Dec 2 – The Light of Jesus, John 1:1-5
Dec 3 – Filled with Awe, Luke 1:28-33
Dec 4 – Following, Luke 1:35-38
The Wonder of a Name
Dec 5 – The Lord is Our Righteousness, Jeremiah 23:6
Dec 7 – His Name Shall Be, Isaiah 9:6
Dec 8 – Loving Father, Matthew 18:12-14
Dec 9 – The Good Shephard, John 10:11
Dec 10 – What’s in a Name? Matthew 16:13-16
Dec 11 – Children of God, 1 John 3:1-3
The Wonder of a Manger
Dec 12 – Little Town of Bethlehem, Micah 5:2
Dec 13 – An Inconvenient Journey, Luke 2:1-5
Dec 14 – The Humble Manger, Luke 2:6-7
Dec 15 – The Manger is Just the Beginning, Philippians 2:5-8
Dec 16 – The Word Became Flesh, John 1:14
Dec 17 – Seeking Us, Matthew 18:12-14
Dec 18 – Hide or Seek, Jeremiah 29:13-14
The Wonder of a Promise
Dec 19 – God With Us, Ezekiel 37:27-28
Dec 20 – Whose “Good News”?, Luke 2:8-11
Dec 21 – How He Loves Us, John 3:16-17
Dec 22 – Abundant Life, John 10:7-10
Dec 23 – A New Hope, 1 Peter 1:3
Dec 24 – The Right Time for Children, Galatians 4:4-7
Dec 25 – Promise Keeper, Revelation 21:1-6
For the entire Devotional Book, click HERE