December 16, Third Advent Sunday
Luke 2:1-7
In those days Caesar Augustus
issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.
(This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of
Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register.
So Joseph also went up from the town
of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he
belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with
Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.
While they were there, the time came
for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She
wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for
them in the inn.
Devotion
Imagine the difficulty of this
young couple. Having traveled over a great distance they find themselves
out on the street.
Exhausted, discouraged, nerves on
edge, and hope running thin - were they wondering if God was going to pull them
through this? But God does, doesn't he, and probably in a way they never
expected - perhaps God will do this for you this Christmas - pull you through
that hard time in a way you never expected.
Prayer
Lord God, you know it is hard for us to imagine Mary and Joseph as discouraged parents, but you know discouragement follows us all. We ask, that this Christmas, you give us a full blessing of the hope that Jesus Christ promised us - Amen.by Pastor Jim Visbeek
Return to Church History