Silent Entry Devotional

He arrived so silently, it was almost a secret. Only a privileged few knew in advance Who was coming. Had the Father not allowed a burst of heavenly celebration to intrude into that quiet night, no one would have even known, save for His parents, that Messiah had come. That was just the beginning of the blessings from heaven that God was to impart upon willing recipients of His greatest Gift. God had just taken up residence on earth, eager to live as one of us, so that we might eventually become one with Him.

In a way, it makes sense that He came so silently. He was here to teach of saving grace, of heavenly blessings and sacrifice for eternity. But in order to receive the blessings of His heaven, I had to learn silence long enough to hear the persistent, quiet voice of His calling. The world of sin reverberates in and around my life, but when the moment of His choosing comes, my soul calms long enough for Him to slip quietly into my heart so that I then experience his birth intimately for myself, in myself. I become a witness to His birth. And He has become not only the Emmanuel of the Scriptures, the Emmanuel of the world, He has become my Emmanuel – God with me.

Food for Thought:

1. Reading through the following verses, summarize in a few sentences what blessings and truths belong to the one who is dwelling with Emmanuel.

Psalm 62:1
Psalm 119:11
John 15:7
Ephesians 3:17-19
James 1:17
2 Peter 1:19
1 John 4:12

2. What has Emmanuel imparted to your heart during this holiday season?


Copyright (c) 1999 by Kimberly Hannay Shoup
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