Category: 12 Days of the Nativity

 

God Provided!

 

Have you picked up on that theme during these 12 days?

Step by step, moment by moment, the great God, Jehovah Jireh, provided everything that Joseph, Mary and Jesus needed during this historical, poignant moment of history.

Even in all the Divine magnificence, He met every human need of Joseph and Mary.  He provided for them physically, emotionally, financially and spiritually.

He had His all-mighty hand on them during each climactic moment of Jesus birth, from the first angelic visitation to the flight into Egypt.  It was all planned and it was all provided for.

The amazing truth is that He will do no less for you.  You are His child, and He cannot be untrue to His nature.  He has promised to meet your every need, and He will.

Do not doubt it.

God will provide!

 

God provided a place of refuge for Jesus and His earthly family.

 

Not only was the manger provided for Jesus' birth, but also the provision and plan for His flight into Egypt was planned by God.

When the danger arose, God sent them out in the way that He had before ordained.  They were safely led and safely kept.

Scripture does not share much of their time in Egypt.  Even in Its pages, they had anonymity for the years they spent there.

They had a sure refuge in the time of danger.

And so do we. 

Psalm 142:4-5 "I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul. I cried unto thee, O LORD: I said, Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living."

 

 

God provided a warning to His worshippers to avoid danger.

 

Can you imagine what the neighbors of the wise men thought, when they began to discuss their journey to follow the star of Jesus?

I'm sure some folks called them fools.  Others probably branded them as religious fanatics.  They were leaving their families and livelihoods behind to set out on a 2-year journey to find the Christchild.  They were using their fortunes and probably risking their health and well-being to take this trip.

However, they made it safely, didn't they?  They arrived, and were directed to the house where Jesus was living with His parents. 

Then, when it was time to go, God protected them yet again.  He warned them in a dream to not return to tell Herod where the child was.  They departed, safely, a different way into their own country.

The Lord protects those who love Him.  He will speak to us through His Word, through counsellors, through that still, small Voice of His Spirit to lead us safely to the land of our destination.

There is no need to fear when you follow the Saviour. 

He will take care of you.

Luke 12:24 "Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have
storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better
than the fowls?"

 

 

God provided wealth, well in advance of their need.

 

 

On the night Jesus was born, when His star settled over His humble birthplace, God brought His birth to the attention of men who lived very, very far away. 

That night, they began a long two-year journey to worship the Christchild.

Along with their joyous worship, the wise men also brought costly gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.  While these were representative of the life, death and ministry of Christ, they were also a financial blessing from God.

As soon as the wise men left, Joseph, Mary and Jesus began their journey into Egypt, where they lived until the death of Herod.  That journey, as well as their housing, provisions, clothing, and animals for the next several years would have, no doubt, been financed by those wonderful gifts from the wise men.

How good is our God?!!  I may be facing a need 2 years from now for which He is right now making provision.  Even more poignant is the thought that I may have a need today for which He provided 2 years ago, or perhaps even further back than that!

Our God sees the end from the beginning.  Time is laid out before Him like a scroll and He sees all of our lives, intertwined and separate, our birth to our death, in one sweeping glance.

We can trust Him to meet every need.  No matter how quickly our crisis arrives, it does not catch the Eternal One by surprise!

Philippians 4:19 "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus."

 

God provided other women to assure Mary of God's plan.

 

Women thrive on community much more than men do.  Relationships are very important to us.  And our God knows that, because He is the one Who made us that way.

So, in His kindness, He sent not one woman to provide comfort to Mary's heart, but two.

The first was her cousin, Elizabeth.

 

Luke 1:42-45 "And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.
 And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
 For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.
 And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord."

 

What sweet words of assurance to the fragile, wondering, fearful heart of Mary. 

The second woman to give encouragment to Mary was Anna.

 

Luke 2:38 "And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and
spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem."

 

Anna's words confirmed again all that the angels had said to Joseph and Mary.

No matter how much faith we have in God's promises to us, it is always a blessing to have a word of encouragment from another woman who understands.

God is faithful to meet the the spiritual and physical needs we have, but He is also so kind to meet the emotional needs of our heart, as well.

 

 

God provided confirmation to the Holy Spirit's promise.

 

Joseph and Mary had at least 9 months to get used to the idea of her giving birth to the Christchild.

Yet as those months slowly passed for them, I'm sure they must have wondered within themselves and probably aloud to each other just how it would all be brought to pass.

Afterward, as the emotions of childbirth flooded Mary, she pondered everything in her heart, kept her own counsel; but she must have had a moment or two of wondering if she had remembered, correctly, everything the angel said to her, if her son would truly be great and reign over Israel. 

Just a short time later, as they went into the temple to offer up a sacrifice for the birth of their son, God sent Simeon to confirm all that the angel had told Mary and Joseph.   Once again, they marvelled at the things told them.

How merciful God is to send us reassurance when we most need it.

Has the Lord given you a promise?  Has He whispered some truth into your ear as you read His Word and meditated on His Scriptures.

If so, don't doubt His Word.  If He promised it, He will perform it.

And, I have no doubt that He will give further assurances and confirmations of His promise to you, just as He did to Joseph and Mary.

 

II Corinthians 1:20 "For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us."

 

God provided messengers to share the story of His Son.

 

 

A little over two thousand years ago, those messengers were angels.

However, as soon as the message was passed to the shepherds, they became the carriers of the glorious good news of Christ's birth.

 

Luke 2:17-18 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.
 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

 

Since that first dramatic delivery, the message of Christ has been entrusted to us.  We are now the messengers for His wonderful story that goes so much farther than the dramatic, yet simple scene that night long ago in Bethlehem.

Are we faithful carriers of the story of His death and resurrection, as well as His birth?

He has entrusted His story of salvation to us.   

How will we give out His glorious message of atonement today?