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Advent Daily Devotional: December 5

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December 5 by Jay Ramer

Reading: Luke 1:28-30

When Mary heard the news from the angel she had a vision problem. She couldn’t see how an angel appearing and telling her to rejoice could ever be good. The scripture says she was “deeply troubled”. Her response was fear. I suppose the sight of an angel might do that.

At this point, she could never have seen what was in store. She reacted to the angel in the moment and was afraid and troubled. She had no idea she would be giving birth to the Savior, Redeemer, the Bright and Morning Star, the Messiah. Or that watching him heal and perform miracles, teach and show the path to salvation would be so wonderful, and then watching him suffer would be so terrible, and then seeing Him resurrected would be so exhilarating! She had a lot in store.

On Christmas morning at our house we have always made the kids wait in their rooms until the adults are situated around the tree. At the signal, the kids come out in a big explosion of joy. The adults are focused on the kids and their reaction when they see their gifts. As we get older, watching this unbridled joy becomes the best part of Christmas. (Also the food)

Just as seeing was critical for Mary and seeing those gifts on Christmas morning is big for the kids. We need to see Jesus. Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians in 1:18 is that we would “open the eyes of our heart”. It should be the prayer for us as well as we anticipate the birth of our Savior at Christmas.