He whom God delivered from a virgin's womb has come to deliver us, so that we being delivered, can walk in the light and be used of Him to take His light to a dark world. He has come to live in us. Praise the Lord, our Emmanuel!
Mary who found favor with God, believed the word spoken by Gabriel the angel, a messenger of God and yielded herself to God's divine purpose. She didn't understand how, but believed in the Lord, saying "Behold the handmaid of the LORD, be it unto me according to thy word." (Luke 1:38)
For the angel had said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end." (Luke 1:30-33)
At the appointed time, it came to pass: Jesus was born.
Mary and Joseph were not told beforehand, that there would be no room at the inn and that their baby (God's Son) would lay in a lowly manger; they didn't know (prior to a dream from God) that King Herod would seek the young child to destroy Him. They didn't foresee that at a very young age, Jesus would stay behind at the temple after the Feast of the Passover, causing them much sorrow and anguish. They didn't know of all the powerful miracles Jesus would wrought, neither did they comprehend all the things Jesus would suffer as He went about doing good.
Yet Mary pondered many things. Oh, what pain she must have felt as she looked upon Jesus in agony on a cross, being mocked, wounded, bruised and about to die for sins he did not commit.
We know that sorrow was turned into joy and mourning into dancing. For Christ arose, ascended on High, has led captivity captive and has given gifts to men.
Like Mary, we must trust in God and His divine purpose for our lives and the world. As a yielded vessel in the hands of God, (as so many before us,) we can persevere in the midst of trials and tribulations, we can fight the good fight of faith, and finish our course with joy.
"Oh, sing to the Lord a new song! For He has done marvelous things; His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory. The Lord has made known His salvation; His righteousness He has revealed in the sight of the nations. He has remembered His mercy and His faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God." (Psalm 98:1-3)
None of the world's most beautiful gifts can compare to the gifts we receive by the Holy Spirit to transform us from our old, sinful nature to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ and empower us to preach His gospel; for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes.
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved." (John 3:16 & 17)
A Christmas Devotional By A Walk In The Garden | Hope and Encouragement for Life's Journey
