Luke 2:7
Dive Deeper
“And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.”
Luke 2:7
Behind the Scenes
Can you imagine it? The Savior of the world, God in the flesh, born as a helpless baby. One would have expected that after nearly 400 years of silence, after countless prophecies, and thousands of years of waiting, the arrival of the long-awaited Messiah would be spectacular, eye catching, and awe inspiring. Perhaps He would come in a palace or riding triumphantly on the clouds. But this? This was not what anyone expected.
Jesus, the Son of God, the Messiah, the promised King, was born as a helpless baby, to a young Jewish girl, in a stable surrounded by animals. Can you imagine? Can you imagine the confusion? Can you imagine the doubt? This was not what anyone had expected. And yet, God knew what He was doing all along.
Make it Real
When I think about the circumstances that surround Jesus’ birth, I can’t help but chuckle a little. Nothing about that story is how I would have written it. Noting about it fits with what I would have done. But it wasn’t my story to tell. And God in His infinite wisdom knew exactly how to come, when to come, and where to come. He knew exactly what needed to take place.
I think all too often we get disappointed with God when He doesn’t follow our script for our lives or others. We have it all planned out in our minds how it should go. And we think we know best. I, for one, am so guilty of this! I can think myself a prophetess of sorts and decide that I can somehow tell the future. I imagine how things will go, dreaming of all the ways that it will work out just the way I expect and plan. I think through the conversations that will happen and the events that will take place.
But it never works out that way. And all too often I am surprised by how much my story is lacking in comparison to God’s story. Because at the end of the day, He is God and I am not. He sees all the details- past, present, and future. He knows the outcome of every choice and sees how every decision will effect the next. He is far more capable of writing my story than I ever could be.
And He is infinitely more good than me. So, His story is always going to be free from selfishness, deceit, pride, or single-mindedness. His story is always going to be perfect. And when I wrap my mind around that truth, I can stop trying to figure it all out and just trust Him. The more I have been doing this, the more God is showing me that He has a better story written for me than I would ever write for myself.
This week as we take a look at the birth of our King and as we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving, I want to challenge you to slow down, stop trying to figure it all out, and really rest in who God is. He is faithful and trustworthy. He is good and perfect. And He cares about you and me more than we could ever imagine. He is enough and in Him, we can be enough too. Stop trying to write the perfect story for your life. God already has. Instead, let’s take this chance to turn to Him and seek His will, His story, for our lives. It will always be the best option.
God has a better story written for you, than you would ever write for yourself.
Crystal Garnett
ACF Digital Discipleship Pastor
End in Prayer
Lord,
Thank You for coming. Thank You for always having a plan. Thank You that Your ways are perfect and I can trust You in them. Help me to put down the pen of my life and let You have full control. Help me to see where I am fighting You for it and let go. Help me to trust You even when it doesn’t make sense or the circumstances don’t fit what I expected. Thank You for loving me enough to care about my story. Thank You for always looking out for me.
In the name of Jesus Christ,
Amen