Restore the Joy: Daily Devotions for December (Dig Deeper Devotional Studies)

How would you describe the Christmas season? Busy? Hectic? Stressful?

Mary and Joseph could have characterized the days leading up to Jesus’s birth that way too. Their hours were filled with hectic packing for an unexpected journey, the stress of traveling to Bethlehem in census traffic, and all the other busyness of preparing for a baby’s arrival. But when an angel told Mary that she would bear the Messiah, Mary said, “My spirit rejoices in God my savior ... for the Mighty One has done great things for me” (Luke 1:46, 49). And the angel who visited the shepherds said the news of Jesus’s birth would generate “great joy” (Luke 2:10).

So how do we move from stressful to joyful? We follow Mary’s example and ponder these events in our heart (Luke 2:19). Restore the Joy: Daily Devotions for December is a 31-day journey through the Bible: Visit Old Testament books to see what the patriarchs, the psalmists, and the prophets knew about the promise of the coming Messiah. Stop in New Testament books to explore how meeting the Messiah transformed lives. Study some Christmas lyrics to see what filled carol and hymn writers with joy and hope.

Step away from busy, hectic, and stressful activities. Step into peace, hope, and praise this December. Follow the Messiah’s story from Genesis to Revelation and enter the new year with joy.

Nancy J. Baker is a writer, editor, and Bible teacher. She encourages biblical literacy using the Bible to interpret itself and making connections between the Old and New Testaments. At her church, Nancy co-leads women's Bible studies and has begun to present studies she has written, including Seniors in Scripture. She also leads a small group with her husband. They both have contributed to devotional booklets published by their church. Nancy creates quarterly biblical word search puzzles for Power for Living. She alternates with Denise Loock to write a new devotional Bible study weekly on digdeeperdevotions.com. For more info, visit digdeeperdevotions.com/about-Nancy. She and her husband, Ken, live in New Jersey.
Denise K. Loock is an editor, writer, and speaker. Through speaking engagements, books, and DigDeeperDevotions.com, she shares with others the joy of studying God's Word. As a book editor, she uses her twenty-nine years of experience as an English teacher to help Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas produce high quality, engaging inspirational fiction and nonfiction books. She also accepts freelance editing projects. She is the author of two devotional books that highlight the Scriptural truths of classic hymns and gospel songs, Open Your Hymnaland Open Your Hymnal Again. For more info, visit digdeeperdevotions.com/about-denise.