The Christmas Story Again-For the First Time: A 30-Day Advent Devotional

By Dr. Carey Robinson

This 30-day devotional provides both a fresh look at the Christmas story and the opportunity for daily meaningful discussion. Full of surprising discovery and deep insight, The Christmas Story A

• Language: English
• Publisher: Crawdaddy Tales LLC
• Release date: Oct 10, 2023
• ISBN: 9798986398747

Dr. Carey Robinson

Carey W. Robinson, MD, is a retired ophthalmologist who loves teaching and learning about authentic Christian living through the Christian "one anothers." His previous books-Yes, That's What I Do Best (2021) and The Last Sip of Coffee (2022)-were written under the pen name Dr. Crawdaddy and illustrated by his niece, Katie Paul Disla. This is his first book with his son, Tyler Robinson, as illustrator through the medium of woodcarving. He and his lovely wife live in Roanoke, Virginia.

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Copyright © 2023 Carey W. Robinson, MD

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted by any means—whether auditory, graphic, mechanical, or electronic—without written permission of both publisher and author, except in the case of brief excerpts used in critical articles and reviews. Unauthorized reproduction of any part of this work is illegal and is punishable by law.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

Scripture quotations marked (LSB) taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.

Published by Crawdaddy Tales, LLC.

Original cover art in wood carving by Tyler Robinson.

Paperback ISBN: 979-8-9863987-3-0

Hardcover ISBN: 979-8-9863987-5-4

E-book ISBN: 979-8-9863987-4-7

Library of Congress: 2023914063

Printed in the United States

Contents

Dedication

Foreword

Preface

The Sounds of Christmas

Day 1     Prolonged Silence

Day 2     Puzzling Silence

Day 3     Perplexing Silence

Day 4     Purposeful Silence

The Cosmic Battle Between Good And Evil

Day 5     Hope Threatened

Day 6     Life from Death

Day 7     Faith from the Shadows

Day 8     Crucial Prayer

Gift Giving

Day 9     The Gift of Affirmation

Day 10   The Gift of Worship

Day 11   The Gift of Hope

Day 12   The Gift of Joy

Do Not Be Afraid!

Day 13   God Is Able

Day 14   Who You Are in Christ

Day 15   The Authority of God

Day 16   God Is Faithful

Day 17   The Birth Announcement

The Questions in the Story of Christmas

Day 18   A Question of Unbelief

Day 19   A Question of Understanding

Day 20   Undocumented Questions

Day 21   Answering the Correct Question

Preparing the Way of the Lord

Day 22   Compelling Lives

Day 23   Gratitude in Sorrow

Day 24   This Is the Day!

The Ironies in Christmas

Day 25   Speaking Clearly

Day 26   A New Heart

Day 27   The Kinsman Redeemer

Day 28   House of . . .

Day 29   God Will Provide the Lamb

Day 30   Who Do You Say Jesus Is?

Afterword

About the Author

About the Illustrator

Dedication

Looking back on my adult life opens my eyes and my heart to a provision of God that is easy to overlook. This group of friends and colleagues encouraged, admonished, and challenged me to develop a deep affection for God’s Word. They offered the gift of hidden treasures that were plentiful yet only discovered by the one seeking and prepared to obey. Each of them expressed humor that made studying more enjoyable and more of a gift. Adult Bible study teachers are part of a special group that helps mature the body and serves as a crucial cog in the sanctification of church members. Thank you for your service and your investment in the kingdom of God—I am a life that was changed by your efforts!

Jay Bolen and Wade Dearman were my first adult Bible study teachers during my college years. These two men allowed (even encouraged) hard and challenging questions. They were not threatened by inquisitive minds, and they made it clear—neither was God! As a matter of fact, they fostered the understanding that a God we could completely explain and understand was not a truly sovereign, omnipotent God. Thank you for adopting us into the Christian community of thinkers.

Mike Rider was such a blessing during my medical school days. He helped me to not assume that a 95-to-105-hour work week qualified me to default on spiritual growth and maturity. Even if there is only one truth that we can retain from a lesson, it will be a truth worth remembering well. Thank you for encouraging me to persevere a little bit more for His glory and His honor.

Aubrey Knight and Kim Young were co-teachers of an adult class. They brought scholarship and relevance to a class that grew to over 100 active members resulting in birthing another class two times in nine years. Thank you for filling in the puzzle pieces of studying the Bible and its connection to caring for souls. This resources our never growing weary in our work for the Lord.

Jim Moore (my current teacher) instructs with a practicality that fosters a sit-up-and-pay-attention mentality. This alertness comes from the heartfelt awareness that this lesson may show up on your exam called life in the near future. Thank you for making studying God’s Word relevant, applicable, and a reasonable stewardship in life.

Thank you, Paula, for being my most consistent Bible teacher. Your affection for God’s Word, your willingness to live under its authority, and your stewardship in equipping other women to love His Word has been an encouragement for over forty years now. Thank you for this consistent devotion. You have inspired and encouraged for decades with God’s truth. The significance of these truth claims has only increased in significance in recent years.