Category: The Twelve Days of Nativity (A Countdown to Jesus’ Birthday)

(A Countdown to Jesus’ Birthday)

On the second day of nativity – God provided a manger, when the world had no room.

Luke 2:7 – “And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.”

A manger is a feeding trough, where they put the hay, straw and vegetables for the animals to eat.

We have no idea if Joseph and Mary found the manger in a stable, a barn, a cave or in a lean-to behind some busy inn.

We only know that when the baby Jesus was born, there was a soft place to lay Him.

How precious the Psalms must have been to Mary and Joseph, as they lived out this tremendous story of absolute faith in God. I can imagine them whispering these verses of comfort to one another, as they huddled together awaiting the birth of the Christ child.

Psalm 119: 49-52 – “Remember the word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope.
This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me.
The proud have had me greatly in derision: yet have I not declined from thy law.
I remembered thy judgments of old, O LORD; and have comforted myself.”

In the midst of our difficult circumstances, when we are in pain and without a friend to provide comfort, when we do not know how to provide our family’s most basic needs, we can rest in the truth that God takes care of His own.

God will meet every need as you travel through this life, walking in obedience to His commands.

There will be a soft place to rest, even in the midst of your trial.

II Corinthians 4:3-4 – “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;
Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.”

(A Countdown to Jesus’ Birthday)

On the First Day of Nativity – God provided the Messiah to a virgin in the family of David, in the city of Bethlehem, just as He’d promised.

We first see the promise of One who would overcome Satan in Genesis 3:14-15. We also hear God’s promise to Abraham in Genesis 22:8 that God would provide Himself a Lamb.

We read the prophesy in Isaiah 7:14 – “…Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son…”

And in Micah we find “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah…out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel…”

God clearly set out a plan for the birth of the Saviour of the world. In Luke we see the culmination of that promise.

Luke 1:26-27 “…the angel Gabriel was sent from God…To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.”

Luke 2:4-5 “And Joseph also went up from Galilee…unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.”

Although the nation of Israel was looking for the coming Saviour, they made so many assumptions about how He would come. They were looking for a King.

They were not expecting Him to come to a young virgin girl and an upright carpenter who would’ve quietly divorced her, were it not for an angelic visitor in the middle of the night.

Quite often, the Lord will do His work in a completely unexpected way. He will use people who seem unqualified and unskilled. He will work quietly instead of with great pomp. He will use the weakest of this world to accomplish the truly great deeds.

If you are waiting on God to fulfill a promise to you, keep your eyes open to His working and moving. Stay in His Word daily to be attuned to the slightest movement toward that promise. Be wise to keep a humble, obedient spirit as you daily do the things you know are right to do each day.

God will show up in His time and in His way: maybe with a chorus of angels, or a bright star, or with a shout and a trump…and maybe with a still small voice.

If He promised, He will provide.