“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.”- 2 Corinthians 8:9
When Christ came as a child it meant leaving all the comforts of heaven behind.
This side of heaven, we can’t begin to imagine all that Christ gave up to clothe himself in flesh.
He who was rich in every way imaginable, choose to become poor. He chose to have less, to be a nobody so that we could have the opportunity to have heaven… to have forever with Him.
Forever… with no tears, no sickness, no heartache, and no more broken lives.
And if I’m real honest, I’m convicted when I look at this example that Christ has set for me to follow.
How often am I willing to take less so that someone else can have more? How often am I willing to give up the seat, to give up the right, to forego that item so money could be spent helping someone instead? How often am I willing to lay my life down in love for someone else? To have less so that others can have more?
In this crazy narcissistic world that I live in, I need to stop and ponder how Jesus chose to come to me, and maybe you do, too.
He came in the stillness of the night. To a young couple with no prestige, no privilege, and no fancy color coordinating nursery. Of all the towns in the world He chose Bethlehem, and of all places to make his entrance he chose a stable, not a stage.
He came to do one thing… the will of His Father.
“For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.” – John 6:38
And out of God’s great love for us, He sent Jesus. And out of Jesus’ love for God and us, He obeyed… to the point of dying a painful death on the cross.
We cannot miss this truth. Out of God’s great love, it was His will for Jesus to leave heaven, to live a humble life, and to die for our sins.
We live in a time when we are told that God’s will for our lives is to be happy, prosperous and successful.
And yet the Christmas story – Jesus’ story – couldn’t be further from that truth.
From those on the outside, Jesus’ birth was viewed as an unplanned pregnancy, and I’m sure Mary carried that stigma with her the rest of her life.
Yet, it was God’s will for Mary, a virgin, to miraculously give birth to Jesus. What God did through Mary’s life was amazing but don’t be mistaken. Her life was anything but easy even though she was in the center of God’s will.
Looking at Jesus’ life and Mary’s life, God’s will for their lives involved loss, heartache, and pain.
And maybe that’s where you are too this Christmas. Maybe you’ve been trying to obey God but the result has been pain and ridicule, and you’re beginning to wonder if this path you’re on is really God’s will for your life.
If so, you’re in good company.
For some of us, God’s will for our lives might mean leaving the comforts of our “heavens” for the sake of others. God’s will, at times, might mean brokenness and pain.
If that is you this Christmas and you find yourself in a “stable” of obedience instead of a “nursery” of blessing, remember how God changed the world through that stable.
He chose the stable over the nursery.
He chose the cross instead of heaven.
Regardless of who we are, God’s ultimate will for our lives is to draw closer to Him and as we do, reflect Him to the world.
“It is a trap to presume that God wants to make us perfect specimens of what He can do—God’s purpose is to make us one with Himself. The emphasis of holiness movements tends to be that God is producing specimens of holiness to put in His museum. If you accept this concept of personal holiness, your life’s determined purpose will not be for God , but for what you call the evidence of God in your life. How can we say, “It could never be God’s will for me to be sick”? If it was God’s will to bruise His own Son (Isaiah 53:10), why shouldn’t He bruise you? What shines forth and reveals God in your life is not your relative consistency to an idea of what a saint should be, but your genuine, living relationship with Jesus Christ, and your unrestrained devotion to Him whether you are well or sick…we are called to live in such a perfect relationship with God that our lives produce a yearning for God in the lives of others, not admiration for ourselves. Thoughts about ourselves hinder our usefulness to God. God’s purpose is not to perfect us to make us a trophy in His showcase; He is getting us to the place where He can use us. Let Him do what He wants.”– Oswald Chambers
The Christmas story is one of incredible love, pain, and obedience. It’s a story of a real couple who lived imperfect lives, yet who gave it their all. A couple who bore the shame, the misunderstanding and the gossip, yet chose to walk in obedience regardless of what others thought.
The Christmas story is about real wise men who set out on a journey following a star, only to be led to a stable because many times God does His best work in the places we least expect.
The Christmas story is about God loving us so much that He left the comforts of heaven to save us, redeem us, and rescue us despite the cost.
May we not forget that Christmas is about more than getting. It is also a story of choosing to walk in obedience to God’s will and the amazing work He does through our lives when we respond like Mary…
“And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” – Luke 1:38
Love God Greatly!
Week 2 Challenge: After reading today’s blog post, what is one area in your life you need to give over to God in obedience? Write it down on a piece of paper, then place it in a box and wrap it for Christmas. Make this your gift to God on Christmas morning. Whether you open it just between you and God or in front of your family, give God the gift of walking in obedience in this area of your life in 2017.
Week 2 Video:
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Week 2 Reading Plan:
Week 2 Memory Verse:
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This post made me think of the beautiful song, “Thy Will”, by Hillary Scott. Just wanted to share:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PAmh3yvmzXs
Lauren what a perfect song for today!! Thank you for sharing, it’s so beautiful “Thy will be done…” Lord Jesus!! Amen!!
Thanks for sharing this song to us, Lauren, may the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ gives me the time to listen to this song. It seems like It is going to be a hectic Monday for me, because of my early appointment today but as long as you know which comes first, we are in good hands of our mighty and powerful God. Thanks!
John 6:38 “For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me.” Christ’s great obedience to and dependence upon God’s will, to bring glory to God’s great name.
Yes Connie, because of Jesus’ obedience and dependence to God, His Father’s will, we now can live eternally with Him!! Am I that obedient? Wow!!
Angela, what a most beautiful and amazing blog today. It brings tears when I think that the little wooden bed the Christ Child lay in on His entrance into this world, would turn into a wooden cross as He left this world. “Regardless of who we are, God’s ultimate will for our lives is to draw closer to Him and as we do, reflect Him to the world.” Amen ! Let it be so Lord!! Let each of us coming before You this morning surrender ourselves completely to the One and only King who surrendered His all for us. Thank You precious Lord!! <3
LOVE this post!! It’s the best I have ever seen/heard in my entire life so far. Angela, thank you so much for speaking Truth.
Awwww, we thank God. Am sure Angela will be blushing. God bless you for reading. Enjoy your day.
I really like what I read today and came to learn more thank you
Bless you darling. God be with you. Amen.
Oh my friend you left me pondering hard some things that I have believed. But “THANK YOU” for helping me to question my life, challenging us to walk in obedience and submission to the One with a plan greater than our own. So thankful for LGG and all the beautiful women here that spur us on to grow in the things of God even when it is hard. Jesus came down and did what was hard, not what was easy and He did it for you and me and for us all. When He came into the world our futures….our eternity was His purpose and Gods plan. Love calls us to obedience no matter what the cost. As a mother I connected hard to this. No matter the cost to our own life the love we have for our children drive us to walk out the hard things, live in ways that may be difficult, we sacrifice and go without so that our children can live better. Ahhhh what a great blog this was. <3
The scene of the ‘Nativity’ is such a humbling scene of the birth of our Lord and risen Savior….and even went to Cross to die for our sins. Our Week 2 Challenge for this week is such a very good idea for this Christmas because I already know what I am going to write, in fact I did already wrote it in a piece of paper and ready to wrapped it. I need to give to God my marriage, this is the ONE thing that’s very challenging to me, for I want to stay committed in my marriage and yet it is hard to live when you have unbelieving spouse….I know that someday, he will be saved in God’s perfect timing and perfect will….God change me, it’s me that needed to change and not him….its me that needed patience….its me that needed change so I can relate to him….
As Angela spoke, hitting on the idea of the “prosperity” teaching that is goimg around, somehow so,E of these misguided folks have forgotten that there are MANY verses on suffering for the Christian! The Lord brought this section of Scripture to my mind:
“No unbelief made him (Abraham) waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what He had promised. That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in Him Who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, Who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.” Romans 4:20-25 ESV “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through Him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our SUFFERINGS, knowing that SUFFERING produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” Romans 5:1-5 ESV Without all that suffering produces, we become weak Christians which is when we lose focus and tend to fall away from the strength He gives as we need it to get us through the suffering to endurance, good character, and the blessed hope of Christ given by the Holy Spirit! I choose suffering over prosperity—I’ve seen both, “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 ESV ! Joyous Christmas! ?❤️?
This devotion was so needed today. My husband who had a kidney transplant 12/8/15 after 9 years of dialysis is sturuggling with the “why me” because he is still not feeling “well”. Back pain, a low immune system , depression,etc are still present & on going. The life he had pictured after transplant hasn’t come about. He has also been struggling with his faith.
On top of all that we have financial issues because he is still not able to work.
This devotional was sent by God so that I could share it with him. Thank you Lord for sending Your Word through your servant Angela.
Oh honey, we are so sorry about your husband. And we are extremely grateful to God that He used us to send this message your way. Our hearts and prayers are with you. Dear Lord, do in Cindy’s life and family what only You can do.
I am so in awe of the Christmas gift and what it means for us. Today’s blog post has given me much to contemplate. From the ‘what would Jesus do’ moments in my life, to the obedient spirit I so often lack, It all requires love and strength from the Father. May we all slow down and hear His whisper, obey His calling and love so unconditionally and sacrificially that all will crave Him
Words of Power and Truth! Angela, Thank you for listening and obeying the Father to impart such wisdom to us. Powerful, Humbling, Grounding Truth. Thank You, Father!
We thank God Joan. We thank God. Thank you for being a part of us. God’s blessings
Lord need a prayer request for my attitudes and behavior towards others, help me father God.
Sweetie, God is helping you. Dear Father please help her to be all You want her to be. Amen
The Lord is calling me to move from what’s comfortable and easy. I’m thankful for the example of Jesus. He willingly came to earth to do works love, peace and deliverance in a hard place. I pray God’s grace and strength as I boldly move forward to do His will.
God’s strength is available for you honey. We are praying for you. Much love from LGG.
I am extremely grateful for today’s reading! There are many times where I want immediate relief from struggles or difficulties and seem like I cannot catch a break, but God’s will be done in all of my circumstances. I must trust God in everything. He is my Father and I must fully rely on Him. It is such an amazing thing knowing that Jesus gave up everything so that I can have everything I need through Him.
I really appreciate these encouraging blogs that apply to the scriptures and our everyday living. Thanks LGG.
Sweetness, we thank God. And thank you too for being a part of us and for reading. God’s blessings honey.
I just downloaded this app on my phone and after reading this particular article, you seem to understand who God truly is which is a blessing. For example, when you said , “When Christ came as a child it meant leaving all the comforts of heaven behind.
This side of heaven, we can’t begin to imagine all that Christ gave up to clothe himself in flesh.”
So when you read John1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word WAS God. So the Word was God and is Still God and it seems like you really understand that That Word became flesh ” 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. And in another article I read on LGG ” His Name Is…” You also explained really well who God is and what His name means and it was just great to read that.
“For to us a child is born.
To us a son is given;
And the government shall be upon his shoulder,
And his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, MIGHTY GOD.
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” – Isaiah 9:6
So basically what I’m trying to say is that your articles speak Truth. And It truly seems like you understand that Our Wonderful Savior Jesus Christ is our One True God. All throughout the Old Testament God was revealing himself and His name thru the prophets, from El Shadai, Jehovah, Yahweh, And finally in the New Testament the Mighty God made himself a body, came down in flesh as a little baby, and His name, the Name above all names was finally revealed, Jesus Christ the Wonderful counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, and the Prince of Peace. And He is coming back again as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Thank you for your Articles. They are wonderful. May Jesus Bless you.
859135 986Wonderful post, thanks so considerably for sharing. Do you happen to have an RSS feed I can subscribe to? 312446
Thank you for your words in 2016, I am just doing this study now in 2019, but the message was still relevant. It was just what I needed to read tonight.