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Listen while you read: "While Shepherds Watched"1
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John 3:16 – For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (KJV)
A few months ago, my dad passed away. Reflecting on past Christmas seasons, we remembered some of the things that Daddy did during family gatherings, like the time he pushed my cousin's face into the whipped cream on a pie.
One of my favourite holiday memories of my dad was the unexpected gift that he gave to my mom.
I come from a family of four kids, and at that time, there were as many three grandchildren toddling about. We had all plopped down in various places in the living room around the Christmas tree and fireplace.
There was a box sitting in Mom's spot. The card read, "Dear G from J". Mom started opening the wrapping and found the box to be covered in several layers of duct tape. When she finally got into it, she found something quite unexpected.
The box was filled with at least a hundred ten-penny nails, three inches long. Mom just looked at Dad, and we all started laughing. A sly grin appeared on my dad's face. I don't remember his exact words, but he said something like, "That may not be all." Mom looked in the box and saw something that we couldn't see.
He had put at least three one-hundred-dollar bills in the middle of the box.
Talk about not judging a book by its cover!
The same applies to the birth of Jesus.
Imagine that you were one of the shepherds on that faith-filled night, arriving in Bethlehem to see the Christ Child (Luke 2:8-20). You had just been visited by angels of God telling you about the Child Who had been born to save the world.
Author Max Lucado describes the scene: "The stable stinks like all stables do. The stench of urine, dung, and sheep reeks pungently in the air. The ground is hard, the hay scarce. Cobwebs cling to the ceiling and mice scurry across the dirt floor. A lowlier place of birth could not exist."
And there Jesus was. He was wrapped in swaddling clothes in a manger, His mom, Mary, and Joseph sitting nearby, along with farm animals. This tiny human baby was actually the mighty God, and the stinky manger held the King of kings! The packaging didn't tell the story.
Jesus' arrival was just like the way that He lived His life on earth for the next thirty-three years that He was here. He looked like us. He walked as we walk. He talked as we talk. He felt as we feel.
But look at all that Jesus did — and all God's promises that came true because of His love for us in giving us His Son to pay the penalty for our sin on the cross to give us the hope of a place in heaven.
Let's be thankful that Jesus' story didn't just stop with the packaging!
Prayer: Dear God, thank You for Your Son. Thank You for loving us in spite of ourselves. Amen.
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About the author:
Becky Holland <rlhga@icloud.com>
Empire, Georgia, USA
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Thanks, Becky.
I enjoyed your devotion.
Thanks for the wonderful Christmas reminder, Becky. Have a Merry Christmas.
Thank you for sharing this encouraging devotional with us. Have a blessed Christmas! Blessings.
Beautiful reminder of why we celebrate Christmas. In our minds we have gotten away from the reality of the place that our Savior was born or the choice he made to come here.
Thank you, Becky, for the story about your parents and the devotional as well. I am in awe of those who can make an “every day” moment relative to our faith in Jesus Christ.
Merry Christmas.
Thank you, Becky, for your interesting and delightful message today. That was quite a joyous event for your Mom to discover in that package. God has sure given joy into our daily lives with the birth of Jesus and His ongoing loving care of us. Blessings for this writing and enjoy a blessed time of Christmas.
Merry Christmas Becky,
What a loving memory and so true about the packaging.
My dad also surprised my mom especially one Christmas! Oh the memories.
We are so thankful for the precious gift who was born in a stable.
Thank you again,
God bless.
Dear Becky,
Thanks for the wonderful Devotional today, it was really awesome. I so enjoy your Devotionals. Keep them coming.
Blessings to you and your Family this Christmas.
Like the quiet beauty of Christmas may peace and love from God’s heart refresh your soul.
(Ontario Canada)
Good morning, Becky,
I loved the story of your dad. My dad’s birthday would have been this month and so I have been thinking a lot of him these days.
I wonder if I would have recognized Jesus as who He was if I had lived at that time. Definitely it was important to God that Jesus came as one of us and lived for many years with His family before He started to complete His mission.
When people share their stories, it definitely helps all of us to think about our faith and realize how important it is in our lives. Thanks for sharing some of your story. Merry Christmas to you and your family.
Hi Becky!
I am a sucker for stories that share family memories, and your devotion was no exception! Thank you for sharing a memory, and especially using it as an analogy for the birth of the Christ Baby. I very much enjoyed the devotional and look forward to reading more of your writings/lessons. Keep up the good work!
(ON)
Becky, thank you for such a wonderful message ! It is absolutely true that the stable wasn’t the neat little picturesque place like in our Nativity scenes!
Isn’t it amazing to see how God works in ways that can boggle our minds… such powerful messages beginning with the God of all coming to such a lowly place to ultimately save you and me and anyone who receives Him!
Thanks for writing!
Thank you, Becky. Life with your dad must have been fun! And your message is very clear.