-December 6, 2023-
Good morning beloved, happy Wednesday,
“And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city” (Luke 2:1-3).
“Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David to be registered with Mary his betrothed wife, who was with child” (Luke 2:4-5).
When did God’s plan for the birth of Christ begin? It began in eternity past, before the foundation of the world, and even before Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden. It wasn’t plan B, it was plan A. God is always proactive not reactive. He foreordained, predestined, pre planed, and prepared; then He brought it all to pass in a perfect way.
Earthly speaking, the plan began by bringing Joseph and Mary together, truly a marriage made in heaven. Then the Virgin Mary got pregnant by the Holy Spirit. Joseph was planning to put her away privately not wanting to shame her. God then sent His angel Gabriel to speak to Joseph and then to Mary; both were obedient to Him.
At the same time God was dealing with Zacharias and Elizabeth, an older, childless couple, and promised them a son named John, known as John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ. Gabriel also spoke to Zacharias and it happened as God said it would.
This brings us to how God would take Mary and Joseph from Nazareth in Galilee, in northern Israel, to Bethlehem, where Christ had to be born according to Scripture. God caused a secular emperor named Caesar Augustus to issue a decree that all the world should be registered. It was a census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. Joseph and Mary packed their things to go to Bethlehem, along with throngs of others, so much so that every home and the inn were bursting at the seems. The innkeeper felt compassion for them and offered his manger, a feeding trough for animals for Mary to give birth; and the rest, as they say, is history.
Jesus was born in that lowly manger just according to God’s plan. A multitude of angels delivered the birth announcement to some lowly shepherds who made haste to go to Bethlehem to see this wonderful, amazing, and miraculous sight. They went off and spread the good news that Messiah, the Savior was born. What a story, all for God’s glory!
God is the Master Planner, Architect, Designer, and Fulfiller. Nothing and no one can thwart His plans. He uses people, saved and unsaved to bring about His will. He uses circumstances to fulfill His plan. He does the same thing in our lives today. All the pieces fit together to make the puzzle complete; all the people must do their part at just the right time, in just the right way, to bring about just the right results. Only God can do that!
Let us rejoice in our Savior’s birth, and never forget all it took to bring it to pass. May we see God fulfilling His plan in our lives in just the right way. Have a blessed day in the center of God’s will. Stay safe and healthy.
God is writing the story, all for His glory,
Dean
Dean Allen's Daily Devotional 