“And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn” (Luke 2:7).
The people of Nazareth were not going to be as kind as Elisabeth. There would be questions and idle gossip to deal with. The man Mary was going to marry didn’t take the news of her pregnancy well until an angel appeared to him. Joseph was a godly man and did right by Mary. A lesser man would have judged her harshly and sent her on her way. Their love for God and each other was going to help this couple’s marriage survive. True love when it is tested only makes it stronger. They would need that strength to overcome difficult times.
In spite of the rugged journey to Bethlehem and no room in the inn for them, we see prior hardships vanish when they hold sweet Jesus in their arms. Picture the look on Mary’s face as she looked into the face of her son, Jesus, for the first time. Remember the emotional rush you had when you held your firstborn. Nothing prior to that mattered. You were holding a precious child that would one day call you, “Mommy.” It was no different with Mary except she was embracing the only begotten Son of God.
Sue Winchester
Missouri
PRAY TOGETHER: DAY ONE: Pray today for Jerome Kambou, president of the Ivorian National Association.
