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LIFE LESSONS
CHRISTMAS DEVOTIONAL
Week
Thre
Slow e:
and Down
Pond
er
Exper ien c e t h i s Ch r i s t mas
se a so n l i ke ne v e r b e f or e wi t h
this si x- week d e v ot i on a l f r om
Max Lucado
Let one of America’s most-loved pastors guide you
on a memorable journey to the manger. Sit beside
the babe. Know what it was like. Be inspired to live
out your faith for Him.
Week Three: Slow Down and Ponder
Scholars have suggested that these events took place around 6 B.C. during the
rule of Herod the Great. God carefully set the stage for the coming of Jesus into the
world.
Observation
The events leading up to Jesus’ birth can be summarized by the angel’s words:
Inspiration
Only a mother can powder a baby’s behind with one hand and hold the phone
with the other. Only a mom can discern which teen is entering the door just by the sound
of the key in the lock. Only a mom can spend a day wiping noses, laundering enough
socks for the Yankees, balancing a checkbook down to $1.27, and still mean it when she
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Some things only a mom can fix. Like Hamburger Helper without the hamburger.
Like the cabinet door her husband couldn’t and his bruised ego when he found out that
she could. Broken shoelace? Broken heart? Breaking out on your face? Breaking up with
your sweetheart? Moms can handle that. Some things only a mom can fix.
Some things only a mom can know. The time it takes to drive from piano lesson
to Little League practice? She knows. How many pizzas you need for a middle school
sleepover? Mom knows. How many Weight Watcher points are left in the day and days
are left in the semester? Mom can tell you. She knows.
We men usually don’t. The kids are usually clueless. Moms are a breed apart. The
If we’ve ever wondered such thoughts about mothers, how much more have we
wondered them about the most famous mother of all: Mary. To bear a baby is one thing,
The virgin birth is more, much more, than a Christmas story; it is a picture of how
close Christ will come to you. The first stop on his itinerary was a womb. Where will
God go to touch the world? Look deep within Mary for an answer.
Better still, look deep within yourself. What he did with Mary, he offers to us! He
issues a Mary-level invitation to all his children. “If you’ll let me, I’ll move in!”
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Application
What dreams do you have for this Christmas? Not what gifts do you hope to get,
but how do you want this season to be special, memorable, meaningful? Ask God to
show you how to make this holiday deeply significant. Remember, the birth of Jesus
Exploration
God’s Ability—Joshua 3:5; Job 42:2; Psalm 77:14; Daniel 4:3; Matthew 19:26;
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Day 2: Take Some Unhurried Time
God’s strength provides safety, security, and peace. His power guarantees
ultimate victory.
Observation
Nothing occurs beyond the reach of God’s power. Awareness of God’s power
Inspiration
The value of time has skyrocketed. Scarcity determines the value of any
commodity, and time that once seemed abundant now is going to the highest bidder.
“Time,” according to pollster Louis Harris, “may have become the most precious
A 1965 testimony before a Senate subcommittee claimed the future looked bright
for free time in America. The report predicted that by 1985, Americans would be working
twenty-two hours a week and would be able to retire at age thirty-eight. The reason? The
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computer age would usher in a gleaming array of advances that would do our work for us
Consider the household, the report suggested. Microwaves, quick-fix foods, and
food processors would pave the way into the carefree future. And the office? Well, you
know that old stencil machine? It’ll be replaced by a copier. And the files? Computers are
the files of the future. And that electric typewriter? Don’t get too attached to it; a
And now, years later, we have everything the report promised. The computers are
byting, the TIVOs are recording, the fax machines are faxing. Yet the clocks are still
ticking, and people are still running—especially during the yuletide season. The truth is,
our average amount of leisure time has shrunk 37 percent since 1973. The average work
week has increased from forty-one to forty-seven hours. (And, for many of you, forty-
Why didn’t the forecast come true? What did the committee overlook? The
report's authors misjudged the appetite of the consumer. As the individualism of the
sixties led to the materialism of the eighties, the free time gained for us by technology
didn’t make us relax; it made us run. Gadgets provided more time . . . more time meant
more potential money . . . more potential money meant more time needed . . . and round
and round it went. Lives grew louder as demands became greater. And as demands
“I’ve got so many irons in the fire, I can’t keep any of them hot,” complained one
young father.
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When I was ten years old, my mother enrolled me in piano lessons. Now, many
youngsters excel at the keyboard. Not me. Spending thirty minutes every afternoon
tethered to a piano bench felt like a torture just one level away from swallowing broken
glass. The metronome inspected each second with glacial slowness before it was allowed
to pass.
belabored the crescendos. The thundering finishes I kettle-drummed. But there was one
instruction in the music I could never obey to my teacher’s satisfaction: The rest. The
zigzagged command to do nothing. Nothing! What sense does that make? Why sit at the
It didn’t make sense to me at age ten. But now, a few decades later, the words ring
with wisdom—divine wisdom. To truly appreciate the good life God has given us, we
In the same way, to truly enjoy this Advent season, we have to pause, rest, and
like Mary, spend some unhurried time meditating on this incredible Savior of ours.
This Christmas, let's make the most of the precious time we have.
Application
Are you already weary as December 25 approaches? Turn your thoughts to the
Prince of Peace, and relax. The world can feel overwhelming at times—especially at
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Christmas—but remember that God has everything under control. You really do have
Exploration
God’s Strength for Us—Exodus 15:2; 2 Samuel 22:33; Psalm 28:8; 73:26; 81:1;
89:21.
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Day 3: Quarry the Word
This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth,
but you shall meditate in it day and night,
that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it.
For then you will make your way prosperous,
and then you will have good success.
Joshua 1:8
The story of Joshua began after the death of Moses. God appointed Joshua to lead
the Israelites across the Jordan River into the land of Canaan.
Observation
The Lord instructed Joshua to remember what was written in the Book of the
Law. Wisdom and success come from meditating on its truth and obeying its commands.
Inspiration
Have you ever taken to the time to compare Mary's words in Luke 1:46-55—what
we often call "the Magnificat"—with those spoken many centuries before by Hannah, as
recorded in 1 Samuel 2:1-10? Clearly, Mary had read them. Many, many times. And just
as clearly, in her short life Mary had become a woman of the Word. This thoughtful
young lady was intimately familiar with the story of Scripture—and what's more, she had
Could the Lord have chosen her to create a home for His Son in her clan, in part
because she had created a home for His Word in her heart?
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I think it's likely. So why not follow her example this holiday season?
When we go to the Word of God for comfort, the words pierce like a surgeon’s
scalpel, both cutting and healing. The Word of God cuts to the very place where thoughts
and attitudes come together, at the juncture of soul and spirit, providing a healing that can
The Bible was provided for us as a vehicle to carry us so that we might be able to
If you want to grow in the Word of God, become a person with a chisel and
quarry the Word—look, explore, seek. Let the Word become your Word, and you will
grow.
own life . . . to regain the same hunger and enthusiasm you felt when you first heard the
name of Jesus!
Application
Knowing, studying, and meditating on the Word of God is critical if you are to
grow in your relationship with Jesus Christ. If you have skimped on regular time with the
Bible this Christmas season, ask yourself what changes you can make to your schedule to
Exploration
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Importance of the Scriptures—Psalm 119:1–8; John 10:35; Acts 18:24; Romans
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Day 4: The Best Present of All
The exiles returned from Babylon to rebuild the temple. Enemies, however,
thwarted and stalled the project. Zechariah motivated the people and encouraged them to
Observation
God provides the strength we need to accomplish great deeds for Him. When
opportunities present themselves, seek His guidance and then be strong to do what He
Inspiration
How is it that the Magi, outsiders to the Hebrews' Bible, found the young Jesus in
Bethlehem, while the Jewish seminary professors of Jerusalem, who knew exactly where
the Messiah was to be born (Matthew 2:5-6), never made the short trip to the Christ
Child?
The fact is, it isn't enough simply to memorize Bible trivia. God's Word must
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As you celebrate the coming of the Savior this year, don’t make a decision,
whether large or small, without sitting before God with open Bible, open heart, open ears,
imitating the prayer of Samuel: “Speak, for Your servant hears” (1 Samuel 3:10).
Perhaps some difficult issue troubles you this yuletide season. Well, others have
asked your question. You aren’t the first to face your problem. Others have stood where
you stand and wondered what you wonder. Seek their advice. “Remember those who rule
over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the
Are you running low on money? Find a financial counselor. Wrestling with
business ethics? Seek sage advice from a Christian businessperson. Battling seasonal
decisions? Before you abandon your family and cash in your retirement, take time to get
biblical advice. “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he who heeds counsel is
Since you live in the era after Messiah's birth—Jesus is Emmanuel, God with us,
as close as a prayer—you don’t need to wear a special ephod or consult cultic stones.
You have God’s family; ask Him to speak to you through it. You have your conscience;
In fact, that may be the very best Christmas present you can give to God.
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Application
Do you have some big decision you need to make as Christmas fast approaches?
God promises His guidance to show you what He wants you to do, and then the strength
Exploration
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Day 5: Where Discontent Goes to Die
Although people cannot fully understand God’s plan, the author of Ecclesiastes
insists that people can find and experience much of God’s goodness.
Observation
In this passage, Solomon made it clear that wealth cannot buy happiness and that
Inspiration
Take your seat in the chair, and look across the table at the psalmist David. Move
the Santa centerpiece if you have to. He motions for you to lean forward. “I have a secret
to tell you,” he whispers, “the secret of satisfaction: ‘The LORD is my shepherd; I shall
David has found the pasture where discontent goes to die. It’s as if he is saying,
You think you and I could learn to say the same? Especially when packages and
presents, gifts and gizmos, ribbon and reindeer seem to be stacking up everywhere?
Think for just a moment about the things you own. Think about the house you
have, the car you drive, the money you’ve saved. Think about the jewelry you’ve
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inherited and the stocks you’ve traded and the clothes you’ve purchased. Think about all
the presents accumulating under your tree (or that soon will be). Envision all your stuff—
First, your stuff isn’t yours. Ask any coroner. Ask any embalmer. Ask any
funeral-home director. No one takes anything with him. When one of the wealthiest men
in history, John D. Rockefeller, died, his accountant was asked, “How much did John D.
And you know the second thing about all that stuff? It’s not you. Who you are has
nothing to do with the clothes you wear or the car you drive. “And He said to them, ‘Take
heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the
things he possesses”’ (Luke 12:15). Heaven does not know you as the fellow with the
nice suit or the woman with the big house or the kid with the new bike. Heaven knows
your heart. “For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward
appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). When God thinks of you,
he may see your compassion, your devotion, your tenderness or quick mind, but he
And when you think of you, you shouldn’t either. Define yourself by your stuff,
and you’ll feel good when you have a lot and bad when you don’t. Contentment comes
when we can honestly say with Paul: “I know how to be abased, and I know how to
abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry,
both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”
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Remember that Jesus came into this world in a stable. So as you prepare to
Application
Make a list of your ten most valuable possessions. Now make a list of what God
has given you, just in this past year (pre-Christmas!). What changes might you need to
make in your attitude toward what God has given you and your earthly possessions? Take
Exploration
13:5.
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Day 6: The Great Giver
Then the king said to Araunah, "No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price;
nor will I offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God with that which costs me nothing."
2 Samuel 24:24
David’s reign brought great peace, prosperity, and military success. But when
David and the people began to grow proud, God punished them for their sin.
Observation
We must find our strength and security only in God and never in worldly
Inspiration
Giving epitomizes not only the spirit of Christmas, but in fact, it characterizes
God’s whole creation. From the first page of Scripture, God is presented as a
philanthropic Creator. He produces in pluralities: stars, plants, birds, and animals. Every
gift arrives in bulk, multiples, and medleys. God begets Adam and Eve and tells them to
Psalm 104 celebrates this lavish creation with twenty-three verses of itemized
blessings: the heavens and the earth, the waters and streams and trees and birds and goats
and wine and oil and bread and people and lions. God is the source of “innumerable
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teeming things, living things both small and great. . . . These all wait for You, that You
may give them their food in due season” (vv. 25, 27).
And He does. God is the Great Giver. The Great Provider. The Fount of Every
Blessing. Absolutely generous and utterly dependable. The resounding and recurring
Application
How have you seen people begin to "trust stuff" at Christmas time? How would
you characterize your own attitude toward "stuff"? What can you give away this
Christmas season that will make a difference in your life throughout the year?
Exploration
Pride—Judges 7:2; 1 Samuel 2:3; Proverbs 18:11, 12; Jeremiah 9:23, 24;
Zechariah 4:6; Romans 12:3; 1 Corinthians 4:6–10; 2 Corinthians 10:12; Galatians 6:3;
Revelation 3:17.
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Day 7: Twenty-Five Questions for Mary
Christian believers in Timothy’s church had lost their focus on Christ. Paul knew
that concentrating on Christ and ignoring personal annoyances would help Timothy’s
problems.
Observation
Christians, even those who face suffering, must focus on Jesus the Savior and
Inspiration
When the shepherds arrived looking for baby Jesus in the manger, they excitedly
told all who would listen about their angelic visitors and their joyful announcement of the
Savior's birth in Bethlehem. Luke says, "Mary kept all these things and pondered them in
A few days later, when Mary and Joseph took Jesus to the temple for His
dedication, another stranger, Simeon, spoke to them about the Messianic mission of their
newborn son. Luke says that Mary "marveled at those things which were spoken of Him"
(Luke 2:33).
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Twelve years later, when Mary and Joseph found their "lost" son in the temple
courts, discussing the Bible with the day's top scholars, Luke says, "His mother kept all
Mary was a ponderer. And I can't help but wonder what she might say if I could
How did He respond when He saw other kids giggling during the service at the
synagogue?
Did you ever feel awkward teaching Him how He created the world?
Whe He saw a lamb being led to the slaughter, did He act differently?
Did you ever see Him with a distant look on His face as if He were listening to
Did the thought ever occur to you that the God to whom you were praying was
Did you ever try to count the stars with Him . . . and succeed?
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What do you think He thought when He saw a prostitute offering to the highest
Did He ever get angry when someone was dishonest with Him?
Did you ever catch Him pensively looking at the flesh on His own arm while
Application
Spend some time pondering the greatness of your Savior. What would you ask
Exploration
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Exper ien c e t h i s Ch r i s t mas
se a so n l i ke ne v e r b e f or e wi t h
this si x- week d e v ot i on a l f r om
Max Lucado
Let one of America’s most-loved pastors guide you
on a memorable journey to the manger. Sit beside
the babe. Know what it was like. Be inspired to live
out your faith for Him.