Advent - Day Seven

From 21 Gifts of Advent by Janelle Keith 

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Luke 2:10-12 NIV

The Gift of God’s Story

...We’ve sung it in church and can’t make sense of it ourselves, but it is a strange way to save the world through a baby. Can Jesus really deliver us from sin? Can anything good come from the town of Bethlehem? Why would the best of Heaven’s divinity (Jesus) come to earth to bear the brunt of humanity?

The real Christmas story never gets old to me. With God sending love in the person of Jesus, He keeps His promise of salvation to all of us. And Jesus proved His love for us on the cross. This whole plan was initiated by God and planned for long ago to make a way back to Him. God loving us first was His idea.

God not only chose us, but He gave us a glorious inheritance in the Kingdom of Heaven with the gift of Jesus. Pure Love came down from Heaven and gifted man with eternal security, filling our days with love, joy, and peace forevermore. The celebration of Christmas reminds us of the Hope of Heaven. Hope in its purest form, wrapped up in a tiny breathing baby bundle, breathing life into our weary and tired souls.

Advent reflection: Let’s prepare for the Christmas Child to arrive in our hearts. Let’s make room for Jesus this Advent season by sharing the story with everyone. Jesus is a love story worth telling!

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Prayer:

Father,

           We can't quite wrap our minds around the Truth that before the foundation of the world, You loved us and set Your plan in motion. We praise as Paul praised in the first chapter of Ephesians, All praise to You, God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! You have blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Even before You made the world, You loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in Your eyes. You decided in advance to adopt us into Your own family by making a way back to You through Jesus Christ... It is the greatest love story ever! Keep us ever mindful of our inheritance and to stay in right-standing with You, according to Your plan. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Non-Threatening

And the angel said unto them, "Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger."
Luke 2:10-12 KJV

Do you ever wonder why God chose to come as a baby to save the world? I don't have any great revelation on it, but when I think of all a new baby represents in my world, I am definitely in awe. There is something so pure, so new beginning, so apolitical. 

There are so many emotions that surround the birth of a child. Awe and wonder. Hope. Fear. Dreams. The promise of continuity. The uncertainty of the unknown. Joy unspeakable. Everyone reacts differently but no one is intimidated by the physical stature of an infant (unless maybe it's their baby and they're not sure of their ability to care and raise for it). Babies are defenseless. Non-threatening. 

Don't misunderstand. Jesus is very much the Lord of all lords. Every bit the Messiah. The Son of El Shaddai. King of the world. And He was all that before He was ever born! Do you suppose He came as a baby so we could feel the promise of all that He represented - all that was spoken of Him before He was born - all so that we could receive Him and not be afraid? 

Prayer:

Father,

           Thank You for such an incredible expression of Your love for us. Open our eyes to see, our ears to hear, our minds to understand, and our hearts to receive and embrace this precious gift of salvation that You have given us. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen