"Come, Let Us Adore Him: A Daily Advent Devotional" (Paul David Tripp)

TITLE: Come, Let Us Adore Him: A Daily Advent Devotional
AUTHOR: Paul David Tripp
PUBLISHER: Wheaton, IL: Crossway Publishers, 2017, (160 pages).

"The Christmas story is the story of stories." So asserts author and pastor Paul David Tripp. Why? While it is important to tell and re-tell this story, there is a danger of becoming too familiar until we don't appreciate the story anymore. We become too superficial about it. We brush aside details because we assume we already know it all. What we used to be ecstatic about no longer attracts us as much. How do we prevent the familiarity-breeds-contempt mentality? Do a deliberate journey through a daily devotional. This is exactly what this book is about: Helping us go from familiarity to adoration. With specific daters for each chapter, readers could follow along from the beginning of December right through to the end of the month, a 31-journey devotional in all. Each chapter kicks off with a thought for the day. This big idea is then expanded with some personal reflections about the Christ child and the gospel. There is then some scripture passages for further study as well as a brief instructions for parents to instruct their children about certain aspects of what the Advent means. There are many different themes woven into this devotional. We are reminded about the sinful nature of the world and the human heart. Why is it necessary for Jesus to come down to earth? What is the gospel about? What about hope and joy? How could we meaningfully teach our children about Christmas and Jesus?

Let me give three thoughts about this book. First, I think it is a good change to have the scripture passages after the initial description and meditation. As one who has used many other devotionals such as "Our Daily Bread," I notice there is a tendency for people to jump straight into the reading instead of the Bible passage. Some might even skim through the Bible mechanically before zooming into the devotional, making the whole reading very rushed. By reversing this, by the time readers finish the devotional, he would have been more ready to let Scripture confirm or challenge our understanding. Second, regularity is crucial. The value of the devotional is not in simply the reading but the consistency in reading through it. Just like many who eat bread or drink coffee for breakfast, the regularity helps us form a habit that would hopefully instil in us a discipline to spend time reflecting with God. If we could remember our morning coffee, or our daily meals, why not spiritual food? Christmas is a particularly busy time for most people. With a devotional like this, we can challenge the cultural influences and to be able to discern what is best for us and our loved ones. Third, Tripp is spot on when he noticed the dangers of being too familiar with the Christmas story. We tend to skip over certain fundamentals, skim over important details, and miss out on the meaning of Christmas ourselves. Weird isn't it? For I know of certain people becoming caught up in the mundane battles of Christmas. Many still try to fight semantic battles of "Merry Christmas" vs "Happy Holidays." Others echo the tired cliches such as "Jesus is the Reason for the Season," "Season's Greetings," "Christmas magic," "The Spirit of Christmas," and so on. There is no need to parrot what the world is doing. We need Christmas to begin in the heart. This is the work of the Holy Spirit. With devotionals like this, we certainly can cultivate our heart to be ready.

Dr. Paul David Tripp is a pastor, event speaker, and a best-selling and award-winning author. With more than 30 books and video series on Christian living, Paul’s driving passion is to connect the transforming power of Jesus Christ to everyday life. His website is at www.paultripp.com

Rating: 4 stars of 5.

conrade

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This book has been provided courtesy of Crossway Publishers and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.