The Upper Room Daily Devotional from The United Methodist Church of Nashville, Tennessee, United States for Saturday, 16 December 2017 "Emotions of the Season" by Lin Daniels (Massachusetts) - Luke 2:1-20
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DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR SATURDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2017
Dear Jesus, Immanuel, thank you for coming to live in the world with us. Thank you for living with us this day and for all eternity. Amen.
The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. (Luke 2:20 (NIV))
Every Advent season I pray to know the Lord more deeply as I read the Christmas story. This year I was struck by the variety of emotions surrounding that first Christmas. Surprise: Mary asked the angel, “How will this be?” (Luke 1:34) when she was told she would be pregnant as a virgin. Rejection: The inn held no room for the soon-to-be savior (Luke 2:7). Fear: The angels often began their message, “Do not be afraid” (Luke 2:10). Joy: Angels told the shepherds to expect great joy (Luke 2:10). Uncertainty: “Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart” (Luke 2:19) because she did not know their full implications.
And all of these emotions are summed up in Jesus, Immanuel, “God with us.” Because Jesus Christ took on human form, he experienced every thought and feeling we have. And then he covered each with his love — offering forgiveness and salvation. Christ became fully human and experienced every emotion so that we could come to truly know God’s love.
Every Advent season I pray to know the Lord more deeply as I read the Christmas story. This year I was struck by the variety of emotions surrounding that first Christmas. Surprise: Mary asked the angel, “How will this be?” (Luke 1:34) when she was told she would be pregnant as a virgin. Rejection: The inn held no room for the soon-to-be savior (Luke 2:7). Fear: The angels often began their message, “Do not be afraid” (Luke 2:10). Joy: Angels told the shepherds to expect great joy (Luke 2:10). Uncertainty: “Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart” (Luke 2:19) because she did not know their full implications.
And all of these emotions are summed up in Jesus, Immanuel, “God with us.” Because Jesus Christ took on human form, he experienced every thought and feeling we have. And then he covered each with his love — offering forgiveness and salvation. Christ became fully human and experienced every emotion so that we could come to truly know God’s love.
TODAY'S PRAYER:
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Luke 2:1 Around this time, Emperor Augustus issued an order for a census to be taken throughout the Empire. 2 This registration, the first of its kind, took place when Quirinius was governing in Syria. 3 Everyone went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 So Yosef, because he was a descendant of David, went up from the town of Natzeret in the Galil to the town of David, called Beit-Lechem, in Y’hudah, 5 to be registered, with Miryam, to whom he was engaged, and who was pregnant. 6 While they were there, the time came for her to give birth; 7 and she gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him in cloth and laid him down in a feeding trough, because there was no space for them in the living-quarters.
8 In the countryside nearby were some shepherds spending the night in the fields, guarding their flocks, 9 when an angel of Adonai appeared to them, and the Sh’khinah of Adonai shone around them. They were terrified; 10 but the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, because I am here announcing to you Good News that will bring great joy to all the people. 11 This very day, in the town of David, there was born for you a Deliverer who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 Here is how you will know: you will find a baby wrapped in cloth and lying in a feeding trough.” 13 Suddenly, along with the angel was a vast army from heaven praising God:
14 “In the highest heaven, glory to God!
And on earth, peace among people of good will!”
15 No sooner had the angels left them and gone back into heaven than the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go over to Beit-Lechem and see this thing that has happened, that Adonai has told us about.” 16 Hurrying off, they came and found Miryam and Yosef, and the baby lying in the feeding trough. 17 Upon seeing this, they made known what they had been told about this child; 18 and all who heard were amazed by what the shepherds said to them. 19 Miryam treasured all these things and kept mulling them over in her heart. 20 Meanwhile, the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for everything they had heard and seen; it had been just as they had been told.
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Jesus is “God with us” at the first Christmas and forever.
Someone awaiting the arrival of a child
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More from Lin Daniels
More from Lin Daniels BY LIN DANIELS (MASSACHUSETTS)
As I reread today's devotion that I wrote a few years back, I am reminded of the greatest emotion ever — love! God, the Father, loved us so much that he conceived a plan for our salvation that involved the giving of his only Son for us. And Jesus, the son, loved us so much that he became a fragile, vulnerable infant. And let us not forget the Holy Spirit! Given at Jesus' request, by the Father, to abide in all believers — "Immanuel", truly God is "with us." God, in his love, gave the very best of himself: his Son and the Holy Spirit. Lately, when I have been flipping through my Bible, inevitably I land at 1 Corinthians 12 and 13. Ringing me back to establishing love as my focus. "If I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing." (1Cor. 13:2-3, NIV) The words "AM NOTHING...GAIN NOTHING" seem to appear to me in bold letters. All that I am and whatever I do, must be saturated in love. Our motives, actions and surrendering are not really acceptable to God unless framed by love.
So as we celebrate the greatest birth ever — let us receive the love God alone can give. And let us be so filled with God's love that it overflows upon every person and every situation we encounter.
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Header Photo Credit: "Harvested Land," Beth Shumate. August 15, 2014. (link)
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