photo courtesy of artur84@@freedigitalphotos.net

With the Christmas season fast approaching and lots added to our “to do” lists, I wanted to take a moment and help you reflect upon this season.  We as women can get so wrapped up in the “doing” that we forget the “being” part of Christmas time.  I wanted to write this devotional to help us identify with each of the nativity people.  This will be presented in a 10 part series–each day signifying a different person.  You can download it here for the complete devotional to use in your ladies group–includes all scripture NKJV.  Or you can enjoy a new person each day through my blog.  Be blessed as we go about remembering the reason for this season.

Day 3:  Joseph
Read scripture: Matthew 1:18-25

Next we have Joseph. Here we have someone who exemplifies being a man who is strong and courageous. When he was told the news by Mary, instead of telling her to “get lost,” he decided not to disgrace her. He was going to just put her away secretly, otherwise if he married her it would show that they had had premarital sex and would have been disgraced together. He could have, according to custom, had her stoned to death but instead he chose, even before God spoke to him to be kind and show mercy to her. Shows much about his character.

Then when the angel appeared to him, he accepted what he was to do. He paid a high price for choosing to stay with Mary. He probably received much scorn from his friends and family. His reputation probably got tarnished among the people and he might even have lost a few friends.
That all sounds like much to endure but let’s keep going, he married Mary. As scripture says, “the Messiah was be birthed from a virgin.” He then had to live with Mary, sleeping next to her for months without knowing her. That would be a hard task, one of HUGE self control of his desires. He was a normal, healthy young man with desires and urges I might think and to do this, would tell much about his character.
Then after giving birth to Jesus, Joseph had the pressure and challenge to protect God’s son. Can you imagine how high of a regard that would be? Especially as scriptures states it was a life threatening time, that was a mighty task to endure.! God knew the type of man required to carry the burden of taking care of his children.

Are you like Joseph, experiencing a time of stress and anxiety during the holiday season? Do you need wisdom and strength to deal with the things of life that you are going through? Joseph is a person to model your life after—if anyone was given a stressful situation to handle, he did it with wisdom and strength that can only come from the Lord. The bible says that when we ask for wisdom he is faithful and just to give it us. The question is….are we ready and willing to receive?

day 4

photo courtesy of artur84@@freedigitalphotos.net

With the Christmas season fast approaching and lots added to our “to do” lists, I wanted to take a moment and help you reflect upon this season.  We as women can get so wrapped up in the “doing” that we forget the “being” part of Christmas time.  I wanted to write this devotional to help us identify with each of the nativity people.  This will be presented in a 10 part series–each day signifying a different person.  You can download it here for the complete devotional to use in your ladies group–includes all scripture NKJV.  Or you can enjoy a new person each day through my blog.  Be blessed as we go about remembering the reason for this season.

Day 2:  Mary

Read scripture:

Luke 1:26-33

Now we have Mary. Mary was probably a very unsuspecting person to give birth to the greatest person who ever lived on the earth. She was was a poor girl, from an insignificant town. But the bible says that she had a heart that trusted God. It says that she was the Lord’s servant. To be the Lord’s servant is not something you say “ok, sure God I’ll do that task.” No, being the Lords servant is something to be chosen to live your life as.
When the angel of the Lord came to her and spoke, she didn’t immediately question. The bible says that she pondered the words. How hard it is for us, when being confronted with some bizarre news, immediately start speaking out how we disagree with it? We question God, we ask for more answers, or we doubt things. We don’t do as the bible says and control our tongues. What if we thought and “pondered” more before we spoke things out into existence. When we believe things that are told to us, it releases our faith and yields it to God. That is when God can start doing all of the work.
Now that she was told these things and believed them in her heart the true test of faith begins. Here she was betrothed to a man, supposed to be a virgin and now she was pregnant. She had to approach her husband-to-be and share this news with him. She is at first was rejected by the man whom she is going to love. What sort of feelings and emotions do you think came upon her? Being shamed by her community and possibly her family. Being ridiculed and judged by those who didn’t even know her. This is a true testimony of how Mary trusted the Lord that He would take care of it all.
Now that she got through those nine months, the time came to give birth. She had to travel through a miserable time, riding on a donkey being pregnant. She was carrying the Savior of the world and it was through an uncomfortable journey to get to where she could finally rest. Then not being offered a comfortable place to give birth to this King, instead he was born in a stable. Among all of the yuck of the world, she gave birth to someone amazing.

God told her, she believed, and she birthed something great!

Are you like Mary, in that God has given a vision or a dream to you and you doubt that God can make it come to pass? Do the things He tells you, seem impossible to make happen? Does the journey that God has placed you on, seem like a rough ride and possibly and uncomfortable yucky ended like Mary had? Hold tight—-Stand firm in your faith and let God produce a miracle out of you! Don’t doubt the enormity of what God can do through you when you are obedient to his words.

day 3