December 20, 2024 Devo

December 20th, 2024

“It’s All About Jesus!”
The Birth of Jesus – The Shepherds
And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them. – Luke 2:6-7 (NLT)
“The Irony of the Nativity”

This passage must be a snapshot of the most ironic scenes in history. Think about it with me for a moment.
God created mankind. Now Mary gives birth to God.
The most powerful being in the universe is held in the frail arms of a young mother.
Jesus trades the throne of Heaven for a manger in a barn.
Instead of His brilliant robes of light, Jesus is wrapped in strips of cloth.
There’s no room anywhere for The One who created everything.
As I’m reading these thoughts that I’m writing, I feel horribly guilty. I feel guilty about my sense of entitlement—that I am somehow deserving of gifts, perks, and blessings. I feel guilty about my tendency to complain when things aren’t the way that I want them. I feel guilty about how I’ve gone from poverty to affluence when my Savior went from royalty to poverty. I feel guilty because Jesus wasn’t thrown into these circumstances. He CHOSE them. And I know I never would.
This passage hit me hard today because I realized how far from the model of Jesus I really am. His heart is so humble. His needs so simple. His demands so few. Jesus chose His Cause over His Comfort. He chose His People over His Pride. Jesus emptied Himself of all that we try so desperately to grab hold of or hang onto. The King left the streets of gold and was born in a manger on a floor of mud. And the REAL irony of the nativity? He did it for someone as undeserving as me. That’s God’s Word for you today.