Daily Bread

Joseph’s Faith

/ pastorpete51 / Leave a comment

And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David. Luke 2:4 ESV

Often I lie awake the night before a trip turning over in my mind whether we have enough food, clothing, and money for the days ahead.

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Amazingly in spite of so many things Joseph and Mary could have worried about, we don’t hear one single complaint from either one of them.  The Bible is quite clear that they were not  super-heroes, just ordinary people who put their trust in God. We often hear about Mary’s faith as she accepted God’s call, but Joseph had his own questions which he chose to answer by faith. Joseph had to decide if Mary was the right woman to marry. Later as he and Mary gathered their belongings for Bethlehem, he also had practical concerns to deal with. How would they safely bring their tax money along roadways where thieves laid in wait? Who would give them a place to stay? Should they return to Nazareth or make a new life in Bethlehem? Yet as they traveled together on a difficult road he went in faith because he had taken his questions and fears to God.

In what ways are you fearful about your future today? Do you wrestle with some doubts about God’s plan for your life? If you long to travel boldly on first bring God all your questions and then trust His answers. God knows the why and where of the road ahead. Trust Him with your doubts and run to Him with your fears. God has not chosen you because you are a super hero but because you are ordinary and God loves plain ordinary people!

A Child’s Christmas

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Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking,  “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.   Matthew 2:1-2 NLT

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As a part of focusing on the birth of Jesus at Christmas I have left one of the nativity scenes in a place where our grandchildren could reach it.  My theory was that they would understand Christmas better if they knew what a manger was and what shepherds might have looked like. So I carefully set up my old and semi-unbreakable manger scene so they could see all the characters.

Last week our home was filled with the activity of seven grandchildren, their parents and one family friend. The youngest had to be chased down two or three times to retrieve ornaments which he had stolen off the Christmas tree. Food, games and fun filled our day and we retired properly blessed and exhausted as they finally all drove off in the early evening.

A few days later when I was in my office I noticed that the children had indeed seen the nativity and had rearranged the figures. As I looked closer I realized that they understood the birth of Jesus in a way a bit different than we adults do. There gathered closely around the manger were Mary, Joseph, wise men and shepherds pressing in closely to see Jesus! Maybe it would be better if we adults turned our own backs to the many activities surrounding the celebration of the Christ child and instead pressed in closely to see Jesus!20171130_054228

Going to the Manger

/ pastorpete51 / 1 Comment

When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the baby lying in a manger. Luke 2:15-16

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In our eyes the manger of Bethlehem represents difficulty and rejection but in God’s sight it was the perfect place. God didn’t just settle for second best, the stable was exactly what He had always planned. So what was so great about a smelly stable? Why did God come up with the idea of the manger? It reminds me a little of ministry at our local nursing home. Usually we are given a special room where people come to hear some hymns, an encouraging message and a prayer. But occasionally we cannot use that room because they have a staff meeting. At those times they ask us to gather in front of the nurse’s station at the intersection of two corridors. It is inconvenient and cramped but lots of folks who never come to our meeting are included on those days.

On the first cold Christmas night at Bethlehem’s manger that is exactly what happened! Just steps away from the main streets of the village, shepherds came, angels sang and everyone heard the news. God reached out and put his arms around ordinary people who He loved with an extraordinary love and said-

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior who is Christ the Lord! Luke 2:12 ESV