😎🐫🎤 Hi All. Christ’s peace and presence be with you. This week I finished reading The True Meaning of Christmas by Michael Patrick Barber. This book breaks down familiar Christmas carols, giving them new meaning, by presenting Biblical history and language of the time. I want to share with you a portion of “Away In A Manger”, regarding
Luke 2:1-6
“In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole world should be enrolled. This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria. So all went to be enrolled, each to his own town. And Joseph too
went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. While they were there, the time came for her to have her child…”
Michael Patrick Barber shares with us, “What Luke’s presentation highlights is this: the powers that be think they are calling the shots, but God’s plan will ultimately be accomplished. Jesus is born in the king’s hometown, as is fitting. The pagan emperor issues his decrees for his purposes. Unbeknownst to him, however, God uses them to make sure the Messiah is born in the right place. In other words, even if the world does not know it, the Lord is the real King.”
We don’t have to look very far or hard to find things that we don’t understand or agree with why they are being done. These things may not make sense to me or you, but nevertheless, they still happen. I, as I’m sure you have also, experienced this a time or two, or more in 2025. We may have found ourselves asking, “Why?” Sometimes we see God’s work shining through faster than others, but it’s all about perspective. What I think God should be doing is different than what you think God should be doing, and God could have a very different take on it than both of us.
God has a masterful way of turning our doings into His glory. It would certainly be a lot easier if I would just listen to Him and do as He guides me, but sometimes our best lessons learned are the ones in which we failed to some degree. But then again, if we learn from our failures, is it truly a failure? I experienced that last week at work. I actually thanked my supervisor for not jumping in to correct me, but letting me fall a bit, so that I could gain better perspective.
Where/How are you seeing and experiencing God working His glory in the midst of our human control? Praise God and thank Him that your heart and eyes are open to Him. Keep seeking Him and He will continue to open your eyes.
Bless others and be blessed.
Shelly :0)
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#MichaelPatrickBarber – The True Meaning of Christmas
#NatKingCole – Away In A Manger
Third Day Devotions 