Bridget A. Thomas
Every day is a gift!
Luke 2
Read Luke 2 in your Bible. Or you can also read it here.
While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. – Luke 2:6-7
Mary was not married, yet she found herself expecting a baby. Joseph, Mary’s betrothed, felt blindsided and betrayed. He wanted to end the engagement. Mary was nearing her due date when there was a census being held. This meant they had to travel to Bethlehem, as that is where Joseph’s family line came from. Imagine Mary traveling on a donkey with a round belly. When they arrived, they were told there was no room at the inn, no place to lay their heads. They had to make due elsewhere. And this is where Mary had her baby. Not in the comfort and familiarity of her own home.
With all these obstacles, did Mary and Joseph wonder if God had deserted them? If this baby was from God, wouldn’t all their plans work out perfectly? Was God still there? Or did He forget about them? Was He going to let them figure this all out on their own?
Many things in this story appeared to be going “wrong.” There were many unexpected moments and events that occurred. Things were a bit unorthodox and messy. Perhaps some of us would have felt frustrated, or maybe even angry, if we had to face these issues. Yet out of this unusual and messy scenario came a Savior. A small baby named Jesus was born. The Messiah. The Prince of Peace. Emmanuel. God with us. In time, He would save us from our sins. Out of an unusual and messy situation came the perfect Lamb of God.
When I think about all the inconveniences that occurred around the first Christmas, it gives me peace. Why? Because our lives can be very messy too. There are many things in our lives that appear to be wrong or unconventional on the surface. We face many issues, big and small, day after day. There are a lot of things that come our way which we would rather not face, if we had a choice. At times we might get irritated with life. We might wonder if God forgot about us. We might think He deserted us. But just like with the events that occurred over 2,000 years ago, we can rest assured knowing that God is in control. God is working all things out for good. God is still on the throne.
If you are walking in His will and if you are seeking Him with all your heart, you can have peace when life hands you difficulties. God will be by your side, just like He was by Mary and Joseph’s sides. He is there, even when it doesn’t feel like it. Peace can be yours in any situation when you place your life in the Lord’s hands. Christmas is one day out of the year when we celebrate the birth of our Savior. But on the remaining 364 days in the year, we still have Jesus, we can still worship our Savior, and we can still have peace
If you are also participating in the Gratitude Challenge, today is day 73 of 100. Continue to write down ten things you are thankful for each day!
© Bridget A. Thomas. Originally posted on Christians Read entitled Peace on Earth by Bridget A. Thomas on December 12, 2019.
Bridget A. Thomas 
So true. It does bring peace to know that God understands our difficulties and that He is working all things out for our good. Life can seem out of control for us but God is aware of all our circumstances and is always in control. Thank you Bridget.
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And how very comforting that is to know we can fully trust God, no matter what! But it takes having a relationship with Him and seeking Him daily. I think as we mature in our faith, that is when we see our peace in Him grow. Thanks so much for sharing your insight, Dawn!
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I really like what you pointed out here about the messiness of the first Christmas and we too can have things that are messy in our life but God is in control. Amen to that 🙏🏽.
In this chapter it says Mary pondered these things and treasured them in her heart. Heard something that related to this. During this time when we get caught up in buying perfect gifts, making the house look a certain way, taking Christmas pics making the family look a certain way. Planning perfect Christmas meals etc. Mary after all that she went through and gave birth to Jesus, she pondered and treasured. So we too ponder on the things this season on that which you want to treasure after the 25th. Maybe time with family actually cherishing talking and listening to each other rather than being pedantic that a dish is not perfectly cooked, or the house is not looking Instagram worthy decorated, things like that. That really stuck with me and helps me as I can get fixated on some unnecessary things.
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Such a great point. You are absolutely right. Too often, especially around the holidays, we want everything to be perfect. But then we lose sight of what it’s all about. Thank you for sharing that. I pray we can learn to embrace this season with peace, as we savor our Savior, and cherish time with our loved ones. ♥️
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out of Egypt
more than once
a prince
costly king
has that familiar ring~
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🤔
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a local church , known as the rock, moves around, even good fr john has endorsed them. cool beans. happy day!
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Good morning my friend,
It’s been a while since I’ve drop a note. I’m reading through the book of Luke with you. I just had to share a few words after reading today’s devotional. It’s SO true that life is messy! It feels like we’ve been dealing with a mess for over 2 years. The Spirit spoke into my heart after reading it. Yes, it’s messy, but the Spirit of God is here to comfort me. Nothing on this side of eternity can stop Him!
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Renee, I am so glad you’re here. You are the one who initially inspired me to do this. I enjoyed it a few years ago when you did something similar on FB. Yes life can be messy. And you are right – the last 2 years have felt nothing but messy. I don’t know how people go through life without the Lord. It makes all the difference on how we face each day. ♥️🤗
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I’ve never really thought about it like that; it was messy, there were questions, suspicion, inconveniences, and certainly situations where they were uncomfortable, especially Mary. This again mirrors a teaching of, no matter what is happening, God will turn it for good.
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So true! Although we face many messy things in life, we can find peace when we keep the messiness of the first Christmas in mind. And as you said, we can trust that God works all things together for good. 💚
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The shepherds, Simeon, and Anna all give praise to God for the birth of Jesus in this chapter. Love that.❤️
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Good point! He is worthy of our praise! 🙌♥️
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