An Unlikely Advent
Pastor Rachael
Today’s devotional is inspired from a book I read last Christmas called, The Unlikely Advent. It highlights four people you’d normally overlook during the Christmas season.
What if I missed it?
Luke 1:11-15-17
Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and gripped with fear. But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the hearts of the righteous - to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
Zechariah and Elizabeth believed their best days were behind them, until an angel of the Lord transformed their perspective. This holiday season, allow God to change your perspective. In His eyes, nobody is past their prime.
Playing the Villain
Matthew 2:16
When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he learned from the Magi.
The Magi’s outmaneuvering of Herod forced him to accept his own limitations; he couldn’t control everything. His example serves to prove that we all have our own limitations, nevertheless, the Christmas season challenges us to believe in the impossible, to go beyond the limitations. Remember that with God all things are possible!
A Curious People
Matthew 2:10-11
When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down to worship him. They opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
When the Magi finally found the Christ-child, it may not have been within the parameters of their expectations. They sought a king, but found the son of a carpenter. Nonetheless, they rejoiced…and rejoiced greatly. This Christmas season be sure to rejoice in the boundless innovative imagination of God. He may not do things as you expect, but He always does the magnificent!
When God Shows Up
Luke 2:8-11
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. Today in the town of David a savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.
Safe to say – the shepherd’s encounter with the angels forever altered the trajectory of their lives. The Christmas season is always the perfect time to experience an encounter with God, provided you’re willing to accept Him. What if God shows up unexpectedly in your life this holiday season? Will you accept Him?
Have a blessed Monday