We weren’t there that Holy night when Christ was born, but how did meeting Him for the first time change your life?

I’ve always loved Advent. My affection for the tradition can be traced back to my early days of motherhood. I was not only a young mom, I was young in my faith, and I longed to go deeper in my relationship with the Lord by making the holidays meaningful and Christ-centered. I prayed my intentionality to observe Advent would draw my family nearer to God’s heart as well, and my prayer as I write this Advent series is that through it, you would draw nearer to Him, too.

“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” (James 4:8a, ESV)

God came here to this earth to draw us near to His heart. He sent His son Jesus as a gift to us so we could experience His nearness in a way we had never known before — as reconciled and redeemed children of God and joint heirs with Christ. Just like I, as a young mom, wanted my kids to understand the depth of His great love for us, our Heavenly Father wants His children to experience the greatest gift we’ll ever receive — life — abundantly and eternally.

“I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10b, ESV)

Throughout the next four weeks, I’ll be sharing a weekly article that goes hand in hand with a daily reading plan, 28 days to be exact, through the book of Matthew during the season of Advent. I’ll include that plan at the end of each of these weekly articles. If you’re interested in going even deeper and journeying with me through daily devotions and the entire Gospel of Matthew, you can purchase Near, my new Advent Devotional, here.

Each week of Near focuses on a specific gift God’s nearness through Christ Jesus gives us. Each of these weekly articles will do the same, and the reading plan will allow you to continue unwrapping that week’s gift by reflecting on a few verses from each chapter of Matthew that have been paired with a related Old Testament passage. I pray God uses His Word to remind us of His great gifts to us — gifts that keep on giving well beyond the season of Advent. Over the next 28 days, we’ll be unwrapping these four gifts — Life, Light, Love, and Legacy. 

The gift of life is the greatest gift we will ever receive. Without it, we could not experience any other gift. With it, we are able to not only receive gifts, but give them as well. And the gifts we’ll be discovering over the next four weeks are gifts we give simply by the way we live the life we’ve been given — both here and now, abundantly, and now and forever, in light of eternity.

Matthew, both the boy and the book, intrigued me. I was fascinated by his peculiar personality and the precision of his Gospel account. Peculiarity and precision are important when it comes to God’s Word, and especially important when telling the story of how God’s Word became flesh! Christ’s lineage and life connects divine dots throughout history and links them to you and me, drawing a picture of God’s family tree genetically, while still leaving room for us. It’s a mystery that has become more precious to me the more peculiar and precise I allow it to be.

I have four sons, and I remember vividly the day each of them were born — four events that will forever be etched into my memory. The wide eyes and sideways grins worn by the older brothers as they met each of the younger ones are images I’ll never forget. I watched from my hospital bed as they met their baby brother for the first time. It was an experience they’d never forget because it truly changed the way our family lived! 

We weren’t there that Holy night when Christ was born, but how did meeting Him for the first time change your life?

We weren’t there that Holy night when Christ was born, but how did meeting Him for the first time change your life? 

How did you respond then, and how are you living for Him today?

My boys have heard stories of our family and the generations that came before them. We’ll experience more moments as the next generations’ stories unfold and more memories are made. Prayers for future generations will continue to be prayed. All because God loved us, created us, and made a way for us to have life — abundantly and eternally.

Father, thank you for loving me enough to send your son to save me, redeem me, and set me free from the power of sin. I pray for wisdom and clarity as I read your Word through this season of Advent. Thank you for caring about the details of my life. Remind me that your precision is purposeful and your promises are true. You are a trustworthy God, proving your love by coming to me and making a way for me to come to you. 

Restore unto me the joy of my salvation as I remember when I first met Jesus. I am grateful I get to live this life with Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to bring glory and honor to you, Father. I look forward to all you have planned for me through this season of Advent and beyond. Teach me. Mold me. Make me more like you. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

Daily Reading Plan for the First Week of Advent

Monday (11/28) — The Gift of LIFE: Matthew 1:22-23 & Isaiah 7:14
Tuesday (11/29) — A LIFE Spared: Matthew 2:13-15 & Exodus 3:11-12
Wednesday (11/30) — A LIFE Prepared: Matthew 3:16-17 & Joshua 1:11
Thursday (12/1) — A Called LIFE: Matthew 4:19-20 & Isaiah 43:1
Friday (12/2) — An Obedient LIFE: Matthew 5:18-19 & Joshua 1:8
Saturday (12/3) — A Treasured LIFE: Matthew 6:19-21 & Proverbs 24:3-4
Sunday (12/4) — A LIFE Built on a Firm Foundation: Matthew 7:24-27 & Isaiah 28:16