Yesha 'yahu (Isa) 9:4

In this reading plan we will look at Isaiah 9 and learn about the Christmases Corrie ten Boom celebrated in her childhood; before wartime and in concentration camp Ravensbrück 1944. Corrie wrote about these Christmases herself in ‘Corrie’s Christmas Memories’ (1976).

If you haven't guessed it yet, in this final Advent devotional plan, Dr. Mark Rae will take us through the fourth traditional word associated with Advent: PEACE. The word translated as peace in the Old Testament is the Hebrew word shalom, which means "everything as it should be." Jesus came to line up everything the way God meant it to be – Jesus is our shalom.

At Christmastime, Advent calendars serve as tangible reminders of expectation slowly moving toward fulfillment. Likewise, the Old Testament records how the failures and weaknesses of God’s people created a longing and a need for a perfect King to come. This four-day plan reminds us that Jesus’ birth wasn’t an isolated event but the fulfillment of God’s promise to establish His kingdom forever. In Christ alone we find our long-expected, perfect King.

When we read the Bible, we read about real, historical people who claim to have met God, in person. We too can have an encounter with God by just looking at Jesus in the Bible. A single day in his life, death, and resurrection are more than enough to get us to hope again. This is a resource from Christianity Explored Ministries.