Choosing Christmas Day One

Day One

December 3

The scripture passage for our Advent is familiar to most, but I’m asking the Spirit of God to breathe fresh revelation into our study. The passage opens with an exchange between two women—one old, one young; one barren-until-blessed, one virginal-past-conception. Meet Elizabeth, the aging wife of a Hebrew priest, expectant with John the Baptist, and Mary, a young teenager pregnant with Promise Himself.

The older woman has had her hopes of children dashed many times over. Perhaps Elizabeth had settled into the idea that her child-bearing days were long gone and the world had continued to move on without her. I wonder if she had grown disillusioned with life or if she was content to leave history-making to the younger women. We don’t know for sure, but none of us would be surprised if Elizabeth had confessed that she’d thought her life was pretty much over when these miraculous events took place: an angel visited, God intervened, and new life began. Waves of nausea, food cravings, and swelling feet became this aging woman’s new norm. Have mercy! What was God thinking?

1) Can you think of something you have given up on—a dream that perhaps once consumed your every waking thought? Maybe it was something you would do, somewhere you would go, or someone you would become. Let’s journal about those dreams here and ask the Lord to breathe new life into those dreams…if they further His purposes for us. Let’s also ask Him to breathe new dreams into our hearts! Then, as we move about today, let’s be aware that thousands of people the world over have experienced broken dreams. May God open up conversations that allow us to share the hope of Christ, who makes all things new.  See you tomorrow!

Hugs, Shellie