26 Dec, 2007
The day after Christmas
Luke 1:26-35
Birth of Jesus Foretold
26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”
35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.
Matthew 1:18-20
The Birth of Jesus Christ
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
Luke 2:4-7
4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. (ESV)
After reading today's God's Story scripture, how would you answer these questions:
WHY DO YOU THINK GOD USES ORDINARY PEOPLE TO ACCOMPLISH EXTRAORDINARY THINGS IN LIFE?
Mary was a teenager destined to be a simple homemaker. Joseph was a young man from the same "hicks-ville" town and was a simple carpenter. God is not simple - but supernatural! He had big plans for them!
You and I are ordinary people, but God wants us to do the simple things like praying, giving, and encouraging others. God is glorified when we serve Him in obedience.
WHY DO YOU THINK GOD WANTS US TO TRUST HIM EVEN WHEN THE FUTURE DOESN'T LOOK GOOD?
Joseph and Mary faced disgrace and humiliation. Mary could have been stoned to death. People though they were crazy.
What are you facing? Illness? Family problems? Big decisions? God is glorified when we trust Him no matter what.
WHY DO YOU THINK GOD OFTEN USES UNCOMFORTABLE CIRCUMSTANCES IN OUR LIVES WHEN HE GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE HIM?
Mary and Joe were ridiculed. Imagine a 70 mile ride (probably on a mule) while about to deliver a baby. How about fleeing to Egypt? How about raising a perfect child?
What is God asking you to do that seems uncomfortable? God is glorified when we rely on His strength rather than staying in our comfort zone.
How can we connect today's God's Story scripture to our lives?
- Ask God to forgive you for the times when you don't have a very servant-like attitude, or the faith to trust Him when the going gets tough. Thank Him for His plan to use you to accomplish His will on Earth, even though it is often very difficult. Ask him to use "Mary and Joseph assignments" in your life as you strive to serve Him.
- Pray regularly for God to give you the desire to serve Him no matter what the circumstances are in your life.
- For one month, in your journal, keep track of the opportunities that God gives you to serve Him and what you learn in the process.
- Using a topical study Bible, look for stories of "ordinary people" who allowed the "extraordinary God" to accomplish big things for His glory.
How can we connect today's story, God's Story scripture and our story to others?
- Look for opportunities (acts of patience and kindness) to demonstrate the obedient faith of Mary and Joseph these holidays to someone you are trying to reach for Christ. Jesus will empower you to learn their story and connect it to your story and God's Story.
- Have some friends over and rent the DVD of 'The Nativity Story'. Use it as a conversation starter to talk about what you learned in this DAILYBIDE.
- July 2008 [17]
- June 2008 [13]
- May 2008 [20]
- April 2008 [22]
- March 2008 [21]
- February 2008 [19]
- January 2008 [20]
- December 2007 [19]
- November 2007 [17]
- October 2007 [20]
- September 2007 [19]
- August 2007 [18]
- July 2007 [13]
- June 2007 [11]
- May 2007 [14]
- April 2007 [11]
- March 2007 [12]
- February 2007 [14]
- January 2007 [7]
- December 2006 [5]
- November 2006 [14]
- October 2006 [18]
- September 2006 [12]
- August 2006 [17]
- July 2006 [11]
- June 2006 [4]
