Daily Advent Reading
This is our Digital Advent Calendar for 2023. We would hope you could join in daily during the season of Advent. Every day’s Advent Gift box will have a new Scripture to read and reflect on. Every Thursday there will be a Children’s Ministry Activity for you and your children. Every Tuesday there will be a question for adults to enjoy and engage on our Facebook page.
Devotional
The name Immanuel Emmanuel is translated “God with us.” There are many Old Testament prophecies of the coming Messiah. The encouragement that His coming offers is that God Himself will descend and make His appearance to save the people from their sins. Thank God He has come, and is coming again!
A popular Christmas hymn is “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”. The 3rd verse offers these lyrics:
O come, Thou Day-Spring, come and cheer,Our spirits by Thine advent here.Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,And death’s dark shadows put to flight. . .The “Day-Spring” that is sung about is an encouragement for us as we travel through the long and dark times of our life. I am overjoyed that God cared so much for us that He has sent salvation to us by grace through faith!
Prayer: God may the presence of Your Holy Spirit remind us of all the light that Jesus came to offer the whole world. Amen.
Isaiah 7:10-14
10 Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, 11“Ask the Lord your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights.”
12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask; I will not put the Lord to the test.“
13 Then Isaiah said, “Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of humans? Will you try the patience of my God also?
14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.