Luke 2:1-20
Today is Christmas Eve and our last devotional. It can be a pretty exciting day, especially for kids who are anticipating gifts or family or traveling or other things that Christmas brings.
The entire Roman world was traveling in the days leading up to Christ’s birth, just like you might be. Everyone was traveling to his or her hometown, because that is how the Romans counted people when they took a census. Mary and Joseph had to travel, too, even though Mary was very pregnant. They would not have planned to travel to Bethlehem when she was so pregnant, but that was part of God’s plan to fulfill the promise that the baby would be born in Bethlehem. King David was born in Bethlehem. The King of kings was to be born there as well.
The King of kings was born in a dirty, stinky feed trough for animals. Mary and Joseph were probably cold and tired and hungry. It wasn’t the kind of situation that anyone would look forward to, especially if you were having a baby. Why did God have His Son be born in such an awful and unpleasant way?
God wanted to identify or connect Himself with all people, especially the poorest, weakest and neediest people. He cares for everyone, especially those people that no one cares about – the poor, the widowed, those in prison, the homeless – we are all special to God. That’s why the angels came to the shepherds, of all people, so that God could identify with the least of these.
As we thank God for what we have this Christmas, we should also reaching out to those who don’t have in the coming year, just as God did for us, especially to those who don’t have Jesus. Pray that God might use you to minister to the least of these. Praise God for the wonder of the story of Jesus’ birth. Adore and worship him as the newborn King!
I Commend Joy! 