Sunday 21 Dec 2014

December 21: Luke 2:4-5

Key Verse: Luke 2:4
Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David,

Devotion:
Ok, so the questions start getting asked… When did Mary and Joseph go to Bethlehem? How long did it take them? Did they walk with a donkey or go in a cart? How long before the birth was this? If we get bogged down in all the logistics we lose sight of what was happening and that is probably why none of the Gospels will give a full account of the how and when it all happened like the modern world would require!

The important part is that they travelled from Nazareth to Bethlehem before Jesus was born; because that is what God said would happen! If there was a big song and dance about them going back to Bethlehem then the king would have heard about it and would have known exactly where they were. God is the one who makes things happen behind the scenes so they happen on time and to give Him the glory, not so they happen to give us all something to read about in the papers.

We have got too used to being able to hear the news as it happens over social media and the airwaves. We have grown used to knowing things before the governments and authorities sometimes because we demand this level of knowledge. Has it actually helped us out or are we just caught up in the hype and losing focus on the real meaning of life?

God made sure that we knew what was going to happen and had given enough prophets advanced warning of the event. He sent angels to make sure the people involved were totally OK with what was happening. He made sure that the right place would be available (though maybe not in our modern eyes) and the right people got to hear about it first. God did not leave this up to chance, but planned it so that the world and all its hype would be left out of the equation. Not even the religious crowd were involved. God chose the people who would have the right attitude, so forgive me if I don’t go with the crowd and promote the story in a frenzy of hype. This is our Saviour we are talking about; the One we love!

Points to Ponder:
How do you lift up the people you love?

Are you there for Christ?