The Christmas Story in 40 Days

The Christmas Story in 40 Days by Chris Loehmer Kincaid is the latest book to be reviewed by Steph Nickel. She and her husband have used it as a devotional guide.

Christmas Around My House

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas … around my house.

Since our son and daughter-in-law visited from Scotland last month, and since our house is well over 100 years old and needs all the help it can get, we wanted to put out my hubby’s elaborate Christmas village before they arrived. (And by we, I mean Dave.)

The village is lovely and I’m a happy to see the lit buildings through the front door when I return home from work each day.

And when I returned home last Thursday, my hubby, who had been on holiday, had the lit garlands around the openings to our front room and our living room.

A Christmas Devotional

It really is beginning to look a lot like Christmas. And because Christmas is Dave’s favourite holiday, and because it was long past due for us to do a daily devotional together, we began working through The Christmas Story in 40 Days by Chris Loehmer Kincaid.

The book contains brief devotionals that remind us of the truths of the Christmas story. It’s a great way to prepare our hearts and minds for the coming season. These devotionals would also be great for families with young children, as they only take a few minutes to read.

The following is a quote from the introduction to the author’s “Bible Stories in 40 Days” series:

“From any standpoint, the Bible is a wonderful book. The Bible is not only the very foundation of the Christian faith, but it is a magnificent piece of literature. The stories, parables, and proverbs told throughout the text make up a great deal of the rest of the world’s literature, as well as our very lives. As a believer, that makes the Bible that much more meaningful.”

And as John Piper said, “Indeed, the Bible is ‘no empty word for you’—it is your life! The foundation of all joy is life. Nothing is more fundamental than sheer existence—our creation and our preservation.”

Why Neglect God’s Word?

The truth of these words makes me wonder why I neglect God’s Word far too often.

I am thankful for each author, each speaker, each fellow believer who challenges us to come back to God’s Word again and again. To dig into it. To keep it at the forefront of our thoughts, our very lives.

The Christmas Story – Day 1

On Day 1 of The Christmas Story in 40 Days, the author quotes Luke 1:1-4 from the Message: “So many others have tried their hand at putting together a story of the wonderful harvest of Scripture and history that took place among us, using reports handed down by the original eyewitnesses who served this Word with their very lives. Since I have investigated all the reports in close detail, starting from the story’s beginning, I decided to write it all out for you, most honorable Theophilus, so you can know beyond the shadow of a doubt the reliability of what you were taught.”

The author assures readers that “Luke, a physician with an eye for detail, wrote this book with the utmost accuracy, verifying his facts and double-checking the stories he had heard. He had never personally met Jesus, but with the information he gathered for this work, he probably knew Jesus better than people who had walked with him in His lifetime.”

Kincaids’s Approach to the Christmas Story

Chris Kincaid’s approach gives unbelievers and new believers bite-sized pieces of information to build their knowledge about the Scriptures.

This same information gives long-time believers fresh insights to consider and reminds us to slow down and meditate on the truths of Scripture.

This is something the Lord has been teaching me lately. There is a real tendency to scan over familiar passages without taking the time to marvel at the truths we read. It takes time to slow down and let God’s Word sink in.

But when we do, we are changed—or wrecked, as some people like to say. Granted, that may sound like an odd verb to use. But God does, indeed, turn human reasoning on its ear. He wrecks it. But in so doing, He transforms and restores us. He redeems and saves us.

So, whether we’re spending hours each day digging into the Scriptures or meditating on a verse or two as we go through our day, His Word does not leave us unchanged.

If you’re looking for a seasonal devotional, you may want to grab a copy of The Christmas Story in 40 Days by Chris Loehmer Kincaid, available in both paperback and electronic versions.

And before I end today …

Be encouraged by Day 40 of the book.

“The sheepherders returned and let loose, glorifying and praising God for everything they had heard and seen. It turned out exactly the way they’d been told!” (Luke 2:20 MSG)

The book concludes with these words: “Every day of our lives, we should want to tell everyone we encounter about our Lord and Savior. We have been given the same message as the shepherds. Now it is our turn to share that Good News. Let the people we meet decide for themselves if what we say is true or not. They won’t be disappointed.”

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