The Wonder of Advent Devotional

As the year comes to a close and the stress and busyness of the consumer Christmas holiday grows, it can be easy to lose sight of what the season really calls us to: worship. In today’s world, is it even possible to slow down, to ponder, to wonder in the coming birth of Christ?

This Advent, recapture the mystery and beauty of the season with The Wonder of Advent Devotional. In this insightful and thought-provoking book, beloved devotional author Chris Tiegreen brings you into a deeper experience of this integral time in the church calendar. After completing a week of short readings to prepare your heart for the Advent season, you’ll journey through December with daily Scripture readings, prompts for reflection, and guided prayer to help you savor this remarkable divine story. With each day, The Wonder of Advent Devotional will reconnect you with what happened in Bethlehem long ago—and experience it anew in your life right now.

Tyndale 2017

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  EXCERPT

The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine. (Isaiah 9:2)

One night long ago, angels broke into the darkness to sing about the birth of a very special child. Their audience was not assembled in a public square or a king’s court. The angels spoke to shepherds sitting in the gloom to protect their sheep from predators and to prevent wandering hoofs. It was a scene rich with meaning—among his many wonderful attributes, God is a master of poetic imagery—as these menial workers witnessed history’s most stunning news. Not only was their darkness pierced by the brilliance of heaven, so was the earth’s.

Scripture says the world walks in darkness, and we can hardly dispute the fact. For all our claims of enlightenment, we continue to build ourselves up and tear one another down. We have made amazing technological advancements but remain bound by short life spans and finite understanding. Egos, greed, bitterness, deception, and wars have not gone away. Many people have not only given up their search for truth; they have begun to deny it even exists. As a whole, we have embraced the darkness as normal. There’s a world of difference between usual and normal; between our experiences of the way things are and our hopes for the way they should be. Our eyes may have adjusted to the darkness of the world, but they were made for brighter vision. We were designed to see and experience glory. We are destined for a brighter realm. We are called to come into the light.

That’s what Advent is all about. The coming of Christ, the incarnation of God himself, is an invasion of light into a dark world. It is the Creator’s plan to establish a new normal for anyone willing to embrace it by faith. The ancient prophecies assure us that a light will shine in the land of deep darkness and that the people whose eyes are dimmed by hopelessness will see something much, much better. Those promises began to be fulfilled with the coming of the Christ, the Savior, the Messiah from a realm of glory. The darkness has been pierced—by brilliant angels for one night and by the child of promise for the ages. The dawn is coming for anyone willing to see it with new eyes.

© 2017 by Chris Tiegreen