The Christmas Book
31 Family Devotions for December
by
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Angels and shepherds, shepherds and angels—who would ever have thought of such an unlikely pairing of heaven and earth? Angels are heavenly beings, surrounded by heaven’s glory. Shepherds are earthly beings, certainly not holy by nature, surrounded by earth’s most common elements. How surprising that angels are sent on a divine mission from the very throne of God to be messengers to earth’s most common inhabitants. Christmas is like that—a collision of the common and holy—and only God would do it this way.
God loves to invade the world of which we are a part, to come down to where we live and share with us something of His holiness and divine purpose. If you live with an expectation of heaven in your heart, you learn to anticipate such unusual interventions.
Sometimes the sky does light up with heaven’s glory, and you can think of no more appropriate words to say than, “Glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace, goodwill toward men” (Luke 2:14 KJV). At other times you may find yourself in the most common of circumstances, yet kneeling in awe to worship amid barnyard sounds and sights and smells, because you recognize the holy presence of God. Heaven and earth, angels and shepherds, a holy child and a manger, God and man—Christmas!
If angels and shepherds collide in the commonplace, why not angels and farmers? Or angels and teachers? Or angels and store clerks? Despite their being two very different representatives of heaven and earth, they had a common task to perform—proclaiming good news to everyone. The angel said, “Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people” [italics mine] (Luke 2:10 KJV). Our world could stand more of that kind of good news today.
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About the Book
Christmas! The best time of the year for family devotions. Author Gene Meacham invites us to establish a family tradition as we sit down together in the living room to share the amazing, miraculous events of our Savior’s birth. With selections from both Old Testament prophets and New Testament writers, family members of all ages are drawn into the drama of the Nativity and are invited to engage in lively discussion of historic events and their present-day application.
About the Author
Gene Meacham served as a missionary in Africa for ten years. He has been pastor of several west Texas churches as well as two churches in Africa. Dr. Meacham has served as director of missions for the Caprock Plains Baptist Area and as an adjunct instructor in missions for Wayland Baptist University and Logsdon Theological Seminary. He currently lives in Plainview, Texas, with his wife, Lavonne, where he enjoys preaching, teaching, writing, and keeping up with seven grandchildren. This is his fourth book.