Daily Bread

Beautiful Feet

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How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.” Isaiah 52:7 ESV

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Joseph’s strong feet traveled many miles guiding Mary’s donkey on toward Bethlehem. She must have felt little feet kicking within her. “Maybe just a little faster Joseph!” she might have urged as she sensed the time drawing near for her time to give birth. Later the feet of shepherds loudly slapped at the entrance to a stable where they found the baby Jesus and the air rang with their telling the exciting news of angels. Mary could not even have yet imagined that far away over dark roads came the clop of camel’s feet as they carried wise men with gifts for her child.  All of these were beautiful feet. But then see the tiny feet of Jesus being kissed by Mary as she quietly laid him into the manger. They looked just like any other baby’s feet but she knew, even on that first night, that some new path lay ahead for them. His were feet that would one day be pierced by nails at the end of His journey here on earth. Jesus’ feet were the most beautiful of all because they brought the good news of peace, joy and salvation as He stepped out of this life to take His place on heaven’s throne. Today as those beautiful feet are standing in heaven we need to remember that while He was still here on earth He commanded us to wash one another’s!

The Longest Journey – Part 2

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For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  John 3:16 NKJV

After the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, the wise men returned to their country, the shepherds to their fields and Mary and Joseph to Nazareth. But the journey of Jesus was only half completed on that night. The first leg of His journey brought Jesus to our world. But from His first cry in the manger to His last breath on Calvary’s cross Jesus traveled the second mile to take away our sins.

Bethlehem’s story is only half told if we leave the side of the manger with soft warm feelings. If we are simply amazed at how God could have allowed Himself be born as a fragile baby boy we only know the half of Jesus’ journey.

 

The path from Bethlehem’s stable to Golgotha’s hill was farther even than from heaven to earth. Jesus had no one for comfortKIMG2589 but the Holy Spirit, no one to understand but His Father in heaven and no one to suffer with Him but two thieves crucified by His side. Yet in the garden He prayed for us, from the cross He forgave us, prayed for us and by His final breath, gave His life for our sins. In thankful astonishment let’s remember His long journey then fall in step behind our Lord to see what journey He has chosen for us this Christmas.

The Longest Journey – Part 1

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  But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law Galatians 4:4 ESV

On the night Jesus was born the shepherds had followed long dark pathways down from the hills where they had been watching the flocks. Joseph and Mary had wearily journeyed all the way from Nazareth to Bethlehem at just this right time. Farthest of all came the wise men who had journeyed all the way from the east. But of all who were there in Bethlehem no one had traveled father than the one for whom they came.

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The shepherds came at the time they heard the angels. The wise men journeyed at the time they saw His star appear. Mary and Joseph arrived when the time was completed for the birth of the child. How interesting that Jesus also came at just the right time,

 

It was at His chosen hour that God sent His Son. It was the longest journey from the place of the pure love of God to a world where King Herod ordered the execution of innocent children. It was an enormous distance from the halls of worshiping angels to a stable with the snorting of cattle and the rustle of mice in the hay. But at God’s exact day and hour Jesus came. He could wait no longer. Our dark and cold world awaited Him as angels stood on tip-toe to witness His birth. He came as hope when all our hopes had been wrapped in night. He arrived in the natural pains of child birth and but He opened His eyes His journey was only just beginning.