And when God was ready, an angel flew down
To a young girl named Mary, in Nazareth’s town.
But she’d never seen angel, or fairy, or elf,
And she gasped when she saw him, in spite of herself.
The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary. God is very pleased with you. You will become pregnant and give birth to a Son. You must call Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High God. The Lord God will make Him a King like His father David of long ago.” — Luke 1:30-32
The warm scent of freshly baked bread filled the little home in Nazareth. As Mary lifted the loaves from the oven and set them aside to cool, a different scent seemed to fill the air. It was as if someone had opened the door and stepped into the room. Mary turned around and gasped in surprise. An angel was hovering, right there — right in front of her. Mary shook her head and closed her eyes. But even with her eyes shut tight, she could hear the angel softly whispering her name.
“Mary, Mary. Don’t be afraid. God is with you.”
Mary slowly opened her eyes and tried to make sense out of what she was seeing and hearing. The angel was bathed in soft, silvery light and its wide wings were shimmering in the early evening shadows.
“Who are you?” Mary whispered. “And why are you here?”
“I’m Gabriel,” the angel answered. “And God has sent me with a special message for you. You will have a child, Mary — a Son. You are to give Him the name Jesus. He will be God’s own Son. And He will be a King.”
Mary shook her head in disbelief. “How can that possibly be? I’m not even married yet, and I’m so young!”
“Nothing is impossible with God,” Gabriel said softly. “Even Elizabeth, your relative, is going to have a baby. And everyone said she was too old. Don’t worry. God will work everything out. For now, you just need to say yes.”
Mary’s heart skipped a beat. She could feel God’s Holy Spirit dancing in the room and shining in the shadows. She looked at the angel and nodded slowly. As Gabriel faded away and flew back to Heaven, Mary sank to her knees in prayer.
“I’m here, God.” she whispered. “I’ll do as you say. I’ll be the momma of your Son. My answer is… yes.” |
|
|
Don’t be afraid. God is with you. |
Don’t be afraid. God is with you.
|
|
|
Prayer Dear God, thank You for Mary who was so brave and trusted You. When I need to be brave, help me remember that You are with me. * What the angel told Mary — how could it be true?
That she’d be a momma? Elizabeth too?
She would go to her cousin, she’d leave straight away,
And see what Elizabeth might have to say. |
|
|
Elizabeth's Story
One day Zechariah… was serving as a priest in God’s temple… Then an angel of the Lord appeared to Zechariah. The angel was standing at the right side of the incense altar. When Zechariah saw him, he was amazed and terrified. But the angel said to him,
Do not be afraid, Zechariah. Your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will have a child. It will be a boy, and you must call him John.” — Luke 1:8-13
Elizabeth lay in her bed in the darkness and stared up at the stars outside her window. Zechariah, her husband, lay fast asleep at her side. She could hear his gentle snores. But Elizabeth couldn’t sleep. She lay awake, full of wonder and joy, thinking about the day when she would hold her baby in her arms. Smiling in the darkness, she put her hand on her tummy, and prayed for this child, this miracle, growing inside her. “Thank you, God,” she whispered, “that I will be a momma.”
It had been several months now since an angel had visited Zechariah while he was on duty in the temple and told him the unbelievable news — Elizabeth would have a baby. It was something they had prayed and prayed about for years. But who would have ever thought that they could have a baby now, when they were so old? But it was true! Elizabeth could feel the baby in her tummy as he kicked his legs. “We’ll meet you soon, John,” Elizabeth whispered.
As she closed her eyes, Elizabeth thought, for the hundredth time, about what the angel had told her husband… how her boy would be a joy and a delight, not just to her and Zechariah, but to many, many people. The angel had said that her son would be filled with the Holy Spirit and have a special mission in life. His job would be to get people ready to meet the Lord and to prepare their hearts for Him.
Elizabeth didn’t really know what all that meant, but it sounded like the Lord, the Messiah, the special one from God, was also going to be born soon.
As Elizabeth drifted off to sleep that night, she couldn’t help wondering who the momma of the Messiah might be. Little did Elizabeth know that she was about to find out…
Excerpted with permission from 'Twas the Season of Advent by Glenys Nellist, copyright Glenys Nellist.
* * * |
|
|
Mary was so brave! She said yes straight from the heart even when it didn’t make any sense and she couldn’t understand what was ahead of her. Lord, give us that kind of bravery… ~ Devotionals Daily |
|
|
Enjoy the wonder and joy of Advent with stories for Christmas |
'Twas the Season of Advent: Devotions and Stories for the Christmas Season |
|
|
+ Free shipping included - Ends tonight! |
+ Free shipping included Ends tonight! |
|
|
Celebrate the Advent season with a new family tradition with this beautiful and heartwarming collection of devotions and stories from beloved, bestselling author Glenys Nellist, told in the style of the classic ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas.
‘Twas the Season of Advent is a 25-day devotional that will inspire your family as you eagerly await the arrival of Christ’s birth! ‘Twas the season of Advent, when all through the earth,
People were pausing to ponder Christ’s birth.
The bright lights were hung ‘round the doorframes with care
In hopes that Christmastime soon would be there…
Prepare the way for the LORD. Isaiah 40:3
Written in both prose and poetry, ‘Twas the Season of Advent will engage children and adults alike and become a new holiday tradition for families everywhere! |
|
|
From the bestselling author of the holiday favorites ‘Twas the Evening of Christmas and ‘Twas the Morning of Easter, ‘Twas the Season of Advent:
- Delivers prose and poetry that will appeal to all ages, especially 4-8 year-olds
- Brings Advent to life through 25 devotions featuring stories from the Old and New Testaments
-
Features beautiful artwork by celebrated illustrator Elena Selivanova
- Serves as the perfect gift for the family as you prepare for the Christmas season
- Presents portions written in the familiar rhyme scheme of Clement C. Moore’s ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas
- Showcases a beautiful cover you’ll want to display on your coffee table all Advent and holiday season
Join Glenys and families around the world as you and your family wait, prepare for, and look forward to the arrival of God’s son, Jesus. |
|
|
What Our Readers Are Saying |
"Perfect for the holiday with little ones." — Karen R. |
"Love the book. Beautiful pictures and simplified story." — Toni F. |
"Anything that helps to guide and keep our children on a journey with Christ is worth it, and this book will help us on that mission." — Steve D. |
More Christmas books for kids |
Free shipping on all orders ends tonight! |
Free shipping on all
orders ends tonight! |
|
|
Berenstain Bears Holiday Bundle |
| Jesus Storybook Bible Advent Activity Book + Christmas Collection Bundle |
|
|
This is the sale you've been waiting for! Shop doorbuster deals on books, journals, Bible studies, and more this week only. Plus, get FREE shipping on any order - no minimum.
Shop now before these deals end 12/9! |
|
|
this devotion with someone who needs it today |
|
|
*Sale price ends on 12/09/24. Limited quantities available. Sale pricing excludes ebooks and audiobooks. Free U.S standard shipping thru 12/09/24 at 11:59pm, excluding Alaska and Hawaii.
*Offer valid until December 9, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. ET or while supplies last. Offer valid online and by phone only. Take an additional $10 off your purchase of $45 or more with code CYBER, after promotions and discounts and before shipping and handling costs are applied. Shipping, gift cards, or customization of products does not qualify towards minimum purchase requirements. Offer only available to customers in the United States age 18 and older. To redeem offer, enter promo code during online checkout or provide the code to a representative during phone orders. Cannot be redeemed for cash or combined with any other discount offer. FaithGateway reserves the right to de-activate the promo code in the event of fraud or technical issues and limit quantities of individual items eligible for purchase with this discount. Void where prohibited, taxed or restricted by law. Not valid for resale.
**eBooks purchases are fulfilled by our partner, Glose. Please note that: - To access your eBooks, you can download the free Glose app or read instantly in your browser by creating a Glose account using the same email address you use to purchase the eBooks.
-
eBooks fulfilled through Glose cannot be printed, downloaded as PDF, or read in other digital readers (like Kindle or Nook).
|
|
|
|
