Take a journey with Mary and Joseph that first Christmas time.

Do you live in a nice warm house?  Can you prepare the meal with a good stove or microwave? Have you a refrigerator in which to put the delicious leftovers? Will everyone receive wonderful gifts?

Things weren’t God’s thing!

Compare that with the night the Son of God was born.  He wasn’t born in an immaculate hospital, as most of us have been.  He was born in a cold, dark, musty stable. Did some well-trained doctor deliver the Son of God? No, most likely it was some local midwife—or Joseph.

And don’t even mention sanitary conditions! Then He was laid in the manger–a trough from which the cattle ate! (And perhaps some of them were standing nearby.)

Mary and Joseph didn’t travel to Bethlehem in a BMW or on a jet.  For several days Mary rode on a lurching donkey; and Joseph walked the long dusty road, up hills and down. The trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem probably took several long, tiring days.

No delicious banquet awaited them at the end of their journey. They probably ate stale bread and cheese for supper that night.  When they finally arrived at Bethlehem, they found all the inns were full because many of other descendants of David who had come to Bethlehem to be taxed. The only thing left was a cave where the animals sheltered.

Hark! The herald angels sing!

No announcement was made in the local paper (there was none).  But in the hills where the shepherds were, angels appeared and God’s glory shone all around them.  And the angel of the Lord announced the birth of the Saviour, Christ the Lord.

Then the sky above was filled with a vast number of angels praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men!” (Luke 2:14). Whenever was the birth of a child so attended? God Himself was announcing and celebrating the birth of His only begotten Son, Jesus. And that birth had also been prophesied 700 years before by Micah (5:1).

Isaiah had prophesied Christ’s birth 770 years before: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulders; and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6, KJV). That’s whose birth we celebrate each Christmas!

As we enjoy our blessings this Christmas, let’s think about the Lord Jesus and His family.  Jesus was God the Son, yet He humbled Himself to become a man.  Though He could have chosen to be born in a palace (He was of royal blood), He chose to be born in the lowliest place possible. Jesus set the greatest example for us of humility and love.  Who else would love us so much that he would suffer the most tortuous death possible to save us, wash us clean, and give us everlasting life?

How can we help but love and serve such a wonderful Master as our Lord Jesus?  While we enjoy our Christmas-time blessings and gifts, let’s think about Jesus–the most wonderful gift of all.  And if you have not yet received Him as your Savior, why don’t you bow your head right now and do it? This website can help.

Questions: Today please read the story of Christmas in Luke 1 & 2.

About the Author Muriel Larson

Tired of trying to live the Christian life in your own power?

1In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2(This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3And everyone went to his own town to register.

4So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the

8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

13Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

14“Glory to God in the highest,

and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

15When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

16So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Questions: Are you feeling lonely today? Do you have a bruised heart?

About the Author: The Holy Bible

Have you ever stopped to realize how many of God’s special people had lowly backgrounds?  Consider the following:
Joseph was a slave and prisoner.
Moses and David were shepherds.
Esther and Daniel were displaced persons of a despised race.
Joseph was a carpenter, and Mary a small-town girl.
Simeon and Anna were little-known prophets.
Peter, James, and John were fishermen.
Dorcas was a seamstress.

Because these people put God first in their lives, consider how God raised them up and used them:
Joseph became second to the Pharoah in ruling Egypt (Genesis 41:40-41).
Moses and David became rulers of Israel (Exodus 3:9-11; 1 Samuel 16:1, 11-13).
Daniel became prime minister of Babylon (Daniel 2:47-49).
Esther became queen of Persia and saved God’s people from extermination (Esther 8).
Joseph the carpenter was chosen to be the “stepfather” of the Son of God;     Mary was His mother (Luke 1:26-35).

Simeon and Anna were used of God to prophesy over the baby Jesus and proclaim who He was and what He came to earth to do (Luke 2:25-38).

Peter, James, and John became Jesus’ foremost disciples and intimate friends.  Peter and John wrote books of the Bible by inspiration of God (Matthew 17:1-3).

Dorcas was raised from the dead; many came to Christ because of this (Acts 9:36-42).

And then there was Jesus.  Although He was the Son of God, He was born in the lowliest of circumstances, in a manger, to a couple with little money.  There was neither fine hospital nor worldly acclaim such as given when a prince is born in England.  Only humble shepherds knelt by His manger to give Him homage.

Philippians 2:5-7 says, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.”

When God came as a man, He lived in no great palace as other kings do.  Instead, He said the foxes have holes and the birds nests, but He had no place to lay his head (Matthew 8:20).

Then He gave Himself into the hands of His enemies to be viciously lashed, mocked, and spit upon.  He let them nail Him on a cross.  He, the Almighty God (Isaiah 9:6), humbly allowed this because He loved us and came to save us.

He is coming again to earth–as King of kings and Lord of lords.  And those who have humbly followed in His footsteps shall reign with Him!

Fill my heart with humble gratitude today, Lord. Thank you that You use the ordinary and the un-spectacular. Fill me with Your amazing Holy Spirit today and use me to accomplish Your will. In Jesus’ name I ask this, amen.

Questions: Why do you suppose God used so many “lowly” people to help fulfill his wishes here on earth?

About the Author Muriel Larson

Daily audio podcast: Hear today’s daily devotional, God’s Lowly People, read aloud on the Men’s Devotional Blog