FBC Daily Devotions

Singing the Story #2 – The Song of Mary (The Magnificat)

Mary stands in an illustrious line of biblical women who have praised the Lord in song. Miriam was the first, who after the destruction of Pharaoh’s army and the crossing of the Red Sea recounted in song the heroic event (Exodus 15). Deborah rejoiced in the Lord’s power to free his people from oppression (Judges 5). Hannah praised the Lord in song when the Lord bestowed his gift of a child upon her (1 Sam 2:1-10). These images of victory and blessing are intertwined beautifully in Mary’s song, which is known as the “The Magnificat.”

Luke 1:46-55
46And Mary said,
“My soul magnifies the Lord,
47and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
49for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
50And his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
51He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
52he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;
53he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
54He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
55as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his offspring forever.

Shedding some light…

Mary’s song borrows much in inspiration from the song of Hannah in 1 Samuel 2. In this time of God’s bewildering presence, Mary sought refuge and hope in the words of Scripture. Her song mirrors the Psalms in many ways. Read through Psalm 113 together this week and allow it to shape your words and heart of praise. And then consider again Mary’s song. What does her song tell you about God? In what ways can her words find an echo in your praise?

Children’s Prayer

God, thank you for loving us so that we can love you.

Adult’s Prayer

Dear Father, when we meditate on these words, we share in the feelings of Mary’s own unworthiness for your love and grace in our lives. Father, give us true humility and hunger for your Son’s praise.

Advent Singing: Angels from the Realms of Glory

Singing the Story #1 – The Song of Zechariah (The Benedictus)

You can imagine Zechariah, after nine months of being unable to speak, opening his mouth to prophecy after the birth of his son. In this piece of prophetic poetry, he uses Old Testament language to express how God is worthy of praise because he has acted according to his promises (Gen 22:16-18) to deliver his people through a descendant of David. In the second part of the song (verses 76-79) Zechariah addresses his newly born child, with literary allusions to Isa 40:3 and Mal 3:1.

Luke 1:68-79
68Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
for he has visited and redeemed his people
69and has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David,
70as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
71that we should be saved from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us;
72to show the mercy promised to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant,
73the oath that he swore to our father Abraham,
to grant us 74that we,
being delivered from the hand of our enemies,
might serve him without fear,
75in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
76And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the Lord
to prepare his ways,
77to give knowledge of salvation to his people
in the forgiveness of their sins,
78because of the tender mercy of our God,
whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high
79to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Shedding some light…

When we sing the songs of Advent, in many ways we are singing the song of Zechariah. We are singing songs founded on the images and promises of hope and expectation. By the time of Zechariah, the Jewish people hadn’t heard from a true prophet of God in four hundred years. (Knowing this, you can start to understand Zechariah’s hard heart in the face of Gabriel’s message of good news.) For us, it has been over two thousand years since we have heard from the living Jesus. Every year we remember his birth, and the advent of the good news of his work. As we remember, we also hunger and long for him to return to complete the work of redemption in our lives and in the created world.

Children’s Prayer

God, don’t let the celebration of Christmas and all that it brings cause us to stop longing for your return to earth to make everything right-forever.

Adult’s Prayer

Dear Father, help us to be rooted in the salvation history of your people. Help us to find hope and rest in your mighty works in history. During this season especially, quicken our spirits to meditate on the birth of Jesus Christ in history, the continued gift and work of the Holy Spirit, and Jesus’ promised return. Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. Speed the day of your return.

Advent Singing: Lo! He Comes with Clouds Descending

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Source:  www.ctkraleigh.org

Character # 4 – The Shepherds

Like the three wise men from far-off lands, the shepherds in their fields were unlikely candidates in the hierarchy of Jewish leadership to be the first to hear of this great king’s birth. Yet God choose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise. It is not unlikely that in this scene with the angelic host we are reminded of who Jesus is: our great shepherd.

Luke 2:8-20
8And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. 10And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

15When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

Shedding some light…

The shepherds were not a highly regarded group of people, and their field was certainly a peculiar spot to unveil this grand message delivered by an angel host in all of its rehearsed splendor! The Christmas story continues to impress upon us that every bit of Jesus’ story shatters the pomp and circumstance of the world. Humble scenes, cultural outcasts, and foreign visitors all receive front row tickets to the birth. In the bright lights and over-the-top window displays of Christmas, we need to rethink where to look to find Jesus. He was first found with the broken, the destitute, and the humble.

Children’s Prayer

Jesus, as we celebrate your birth, help us not only think about ourselves, but help us also think about others. Help us think about our friends, our family, and those in need. And help us love them and serve them in a way that is pleasing to you.

Adult’s Prayer

Dear Father, we so often forget the true beginnings of Jesus. We get so easily distracted by the desires and flash of the world. Help us to take time to practice humility and care, both for our own struggles and brokenness, as well as those around us in need.

Advent Singing:  While Shepherds Kept Their Watch!

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Source:  www.ctkraleigh.org

Character #3 – The Angel and the Heavenly Host

To show how significant the birth of Jesus is, we are given a glimpse of the angelic host only rivaled by the visions of John in the book of Revelation. Jesus’ birth is a cataclysmic in-breaking of God’s kingdom into the earthly realm. This is a visual picture of the Lord’s prayer, “Thy Kingdom come”. We can almost imagine how shocked the shepherds must have been as the glory of the Lord shone around them!

Luke 2:8-20
8And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. 10And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

14″Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

15When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

Shedding some light…

God spares no expense at the announcement of Jesus’ birth. He enlists not just a heavenly quartet, or a single shimmering soloist, but the whole heavenly throng, singing together as a big, heavenly gospel choir, rocking the foundations of humanity. The angels’ message is simple and straight forward and not in the least bit clouded in celestial language or heavenly rhetoric. “Good News! The Savior is born!” with a chorus of “Glory to God” and “Peace on Earth”. Talk about what the angels said and why those were the words they used to announce Jesus’ birth.

Children’s Prayer

Dear Heavenly God, give us the same sense of joy and excitement as the angels who proclaimed Jesus’ birth.

Adult’s Prayer

Almighty God, when we find our hearts distracted in the busy-ness of this Christmas season, enamor us with the glory and joy of your presence. Let us understand why the birth of Jesus was “good news of great joy.”

Advent Singing:  Angels We Have Heard on High

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Source: www.ctkraleigh.org

Character # 2 – The Star and the Wise Men

The heavens were deeply attuned to the coming of the Savior. The star signified that creation had a part to play in displaying God’s good news to the people of the whole world. God even allowed pagan astrologers from the east to recognize the message of the star: that a king would be born in Judea. Yet even the wise men were surprised to find that the king was not in Jerusalem! God needed to speak his word to them directly for them to find the humble location of Jesus’ birth. When they arrived at the house, they presented gifts fit for a king (Isa 60:5-7): gold, frankincense, and myrrh. After paying homage to this newborn king, they traveled back to their homes.

Matthew 2:1-12

1Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, 2saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” 3When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:

7Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. 8And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” 9After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. 10When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.
11And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.

Shedding some light…

This story is about outsiders being invited to participate as insiders in the birth of Jesus. God uses the star to communicate the story of Jesus to those who are outside the covenant family of Israel and his written word. He doesn’t just bring them as far as Jerusalem and then leave them hanging. He leads them into the very presence of Christ, where they can bring their gifts of tithe and worship. This is an amazing picture of all the nations bringing their gifts before the Lamb of God and a wonderful anticipation of the day when all the nations will worship Jesus as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. It also models and inspires us as we think about bringing our talents, gifts, and worship to Jesus during this season of Advent. Spend some time talking about what God has given you and how you can use those things to worship him.

Children’s Prayer

God, everything we have has comes from you. You have given us more than we deserve to get. Help us be thankful for what we have and help us be generous with what you have given us.

Adult’s Prayer

Eternal King, when we look out upon your creation we marvel at your wondrous works and rejoice at their beauty. We are amazed at the ways your creation points us to you. We realize though Lord that we marvel in light of how you have revealed yourself in the Bible. May we seek in this season to know the depths and wonders of your “good news” ever more deeply so that we can share in the praises of all the nations.

Advent Singing:  We Three Kings

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Source:  www.ctkraliegh.org