Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth - The First Songs of Christmas: An Advent Devotional

2018 by REVIVED HEARTS FOUNDATION
Moody Publishers edition 2021

Content in this book has been compiled and edited from the writing and teaching of Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth by Lawrence Kimbrough.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.TM Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.TM

Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from the King James Version.

Published in association with the literary agency of Wolgemuth & Associates.

All emphasis in Scripture has been added.

Edited by Anne Christian Buchanan
Interior design: Design by Julia
Cover design: Erik M. Peterson
Cover image of brush calligraphy copyright 2020 by Anastasiia Gevko / Shutterstock (1544476058). All rights reserved.
Cover image of floral frame copyright 2020 by Romanova Ekaterinai / Shutterstock (1833234499). All rights reserved.
Author photo: Nathan Bollinger

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Wolgemuth, Nancy DeMoss, author.

Title: The first songs of Christmas : a 31-day advent devotional : meditations on Luke 1 & 2 / Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth.

Description: Chicago : Moody Publishers, [2021] | Includes bibliographical references. | Summary: Unlike todays holiday tunes, the original songs of Christmas lift our hearts to God, revealing His greatness, glory, and goodness. This 31-day Advent devotional leads you into the songs of Elizabeth, Mary, Zechariah, the angels, and Simeon. Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth offers meditations to help you discover the essence of Christmas-- Provided by publisher.

Identifiers: LCCN 2021028908 (print) | LCCN 2021028909 (ebook) | ISBN 9780802425270 | ISBN 9780802476531 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: Christmas--Biblical teaching--Meditations. | Jesus Christ--Nativity--Meditations. | Bible. Luke, I-II--Meditations. | BISAC: RELIGION / Holidays / Christmas & Advent | RELIGION / Christian Living / Inspirational

Classification: LCC BV45 .W65 2021 (print) | LCC BV45 (ebook) | DDC 242/.335--dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021028908

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021028909

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To my fellow servants at Revive Our Hearts whose faithful labors are causing many to sing new songs of praise to Christ, our Savior and King

Friend,

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ONE OF THE THINGS I MOST LOVE about being a child of God is that we have something to sing about. And one of the things I most love about the Bible is that it gives us songs to sing.

Especially Christmas songs.

Have you noticed? The very first songs of the very first Christmas are some of the very first words of the New Testament. Six of these songs (depending how you count them) are recorded in the first two chapters of Lukes gospel.

Elizabeths Songthe joy of an older woman relieved of her barrenness, yet caught up in the thrill of another womans even more amazing pregnancy.

Marys Songa biblically rich lyric expressed by a teenage girl losing her fear of the unknown as it is overshadowed by her awe of a God who knew where to find her.

Zechariahs Songtwelve monumental verses sung with the reverence of an elderly priest, but also the fervor of one whose tongue had just come unloosed.

The Angels Songtwo songs really, each sung to the shepherds: one in the clear voice of a lone angel, the second from an angel chorus in unified worship.

Simeons Songthe benedictory prayer of a watchful saint attuned to Gods timing, aware that he was seeing in Jesus the gospels grand mystery in miniature.

These five (or six) songs, the original songs of Christmas, are different from many of the ones that get the majority of airplay this time of year. Theyre not self-centered; theyre God-centered. They speak less to what Christmas does for us and more to what Christmas reveals about the greatness, glory, and goodness of God. Rather than being clever rhymes filled with memories and nostalgia, they are biblical lines of historic verse about Gods redemptive plan for the world and His eternal purpose for the ages.

In other words, they create an ideal template for experiencing Adventa term that describes not only the weeks before Christmas, but also speaks of the actual coming of Christ into the world, God becoming flesh. What else could capture so vividly, delivered fresh from that moment, the outburst of joy erupting in Gods people as streaks of heavenly light began slowly, yet suddenly, appearing in their darkness? After years, decades, centuries of oppression and hardshipwondering if God had forgotten them foreverthose whod kept watching experienced something in person that we still cant stop singing about today.

They didnt just have stories to tell; they had songs to sing. And during this Advent season, Id love for us to sing them together.

Each days reading in this book revolves around a single line from one of these songs. In addition to a brief devotional thought, Ive also included a few other things you can consider doing if your time and situation allow: other Bible passages to look up and learn from, a journaling question to contemplate. But the goal is not to check through the items, making sure you complete everything. Instead, I pray that youll spend these days leading up to and beyond Christmas lifting up your eyes the way each of these men and women did, your face fully fixed on our great God and Savior as you sing along.