What a blessing it was to see in our last devotion how Zacharias faith
in God had been revived! I just love happy endings, don't you? Whenever
and wherever faith in God is applied, there is always joy to be found.
As we leave his happy little family behind, we are going to read on in
Luke 2:1-7 and join cousin Mary and Joseph on their trip to Bethlehem.
It too, is God's account of their journey of faith...
Luke 2:1-7 (KJV)
And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar
Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first
made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every
one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the
city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called
Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed
with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that,
while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
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.
Joseph and Mary, along with many others in their city, traveled 80 miles
from Nazareth up into Bethlehem because Caesar Augustus sent out a decree
that all the world should be taxed. Though Caesar was ruling, God was
in charge of all the details... Of all the times to have to take a trip
of this magnitude, why did it have to be when, as verse 5 puts it, Mary
was "great with child"? Those of you who have been great with child know
firsthand that this is certainly not an ideal time to travel, amen? Ladies,
Mary didn't have the benefit of traveling like we do, resting her back
in a cushioned, cozy automobile while gazing out of the window at the
scenery in temperature controlled comfort! No, she had to ride a donkey
for 80 miles at 9 months pregnant, for there was no getting around the
law and postponing the trip till a later, more convenient time. Joseph,
being a just man and always desired to do right, performed his duty as
a law-abiding citizen and took his wife and went to Bethlehem to be taxed.
(Couldn't you just this once, Joseph, not care about doing right??) Have
you ever felt that way about your husbands, ladies? Have you ever been
so worn out that even thinking about doing right exhausts you and brings
on a wave of intense contractions? Do you think we should stop following
God's instructions when we've had enough, even though we might be clinging
to a good excuse? Certainly Mary had justification for disregarding this
particular obligation but I don't think Joseph thought so, nor would Caesar
Augustus - and neither would the Lord! You see, the timing of this trip
was ordained by God....
Psalm 31:15a (KJV)
My times are in thy hand...
Yes, Joseph and Mary were taking a journey of faith... What if the baby
was born along the way?! Where will....How will.....When....What about....But
why.... Never mind all that, just get on the donkey and TRUST ME! Could
you do it, ladies?? Could you joyfully submit to a plan that didn't make
any sense to you, a plan that didn't supply you with any answers to your
questions? While all the others on their journey were faced with being
taxed once, Joseph and Mary were faced with being taxed twice! Once by
man and once by God! Their faith was being taxed, amen? And wouldn't you
know it....
Verse 6:
And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished
that she should be delivered.
The Lord was using the events of history to get Joseph and Mary where
HE wanted them at the appropriate time. Have you ever struggled after
having taken a step of faith and found that from that point on, nothing
made sense anymore? Have you struggled with following God's plan, accepting
His timing and ways of working things out? Perhaps you thought you had
God all figured out as you agreed with His plan upfront, but now things
aren't working out the way you intended... Was it really God's plan or
yours you yielded to?? "I submitted Lord, but now this whole thing is
getting a bit "taxing" on me! I didn't expect it to be so "taxing"! Why
are you "taxing" me like this, Lord?! When will all this "taxing" be over
for me?!" Just how will you respond when you are "taxed" by the Lord,
dear lady? Will you get off your donkey and head for home or stay on and
endure, arriving joyfully at the destination HE has ordained for you?
Remember, in Luke 1:38 Mary stated, "...be it unto me according to thy
Word." If you're going to say things like that, you better mean it, amen?
Even when it includes riding a donkey for 80 miles at 9 months pregnant!
Ladies, Joseph and Mary were learning some things about the Lord that
all God's people need to understand if we are going to survive our journey
of faith! It is found in Isaiah 55:8...
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,
saith the Lord.
Man's thoughts greatly differ from God's and God's ways greatly differ
from man's... If we don't set out on our journey of faith with this understanding,
then at some point we might get off our donkeys and run! You can't take
that step of faith in your life and carry your own plan along with you
in your suitcase! Leave your thoughts and ways behind and accept what
God has planned so that you will finish your race! Most Christians don't
realize how much they actually believe that God thinks like they do and
it confounds them when things go contrary to what they had all figured
out! Time and again the Lord reminds us that He operates differently than
people, therefore we must simply trust and obey. Christians doubt themselves
and their calling when they end up doubting God… All we really have to
do to begin with is to carry the above verse with us on our journey! The
reason the Lord gave it to us is so that we don't destroy our own faith
with our own thinking...
Romans 11:33 (KJV)
O the depths of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how
unsearchable are his judgements, and his ways past finding out!
Did you notice that word UNSEARCHABLE? What a perfect description of our
God! His ways are past finding out! Why do we spend so much time (and
waste so much time!) trying to figure God out?! Such behavior is rude
and disrespectful and an evidence of a lack of trust. What a hindrance
to our faith when we try to analyze the Lord but what help it is when
we rest on the realization of the depths of our God!!! Such an unfathomable
nature yet the Lord still retains simplicity, as seen in Luke 1:7...
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.
With no midwife to help this young woman during childbirth, Mary brought
forth her firstborn - a simple plan designed by an unsearchable God! We
human beings need a simple plan to understand! However, the world doesn't
recognize God's plan for salvation as simple! They complicate salvation.
The world wants to dress salvation up and make it formal... Nevertheless,
it's obvious in the surrounding details of the birth of His Son that the
Lord didn't want anything to stand out but Christ alone. No fancy bed
for Jesus, no fancy name brand baby clothes, no fancy structure, no fancy
ceremony, no fancy doctors in attendance of the birth – just Christ! Praise
God! That simple little manger, that strange unknown spot the Lord Himself
led Joseph and Mary to deliver the baby Jesus, was the center of the power
of the universe! It was a sacred place, a place that had become holy because
of the presence of Jesus!! Would you have been scared or worried if you
were Mary? Or would your faith in God have carried you through? After
all, this was her FIRST birth she was facing, a situation Mary had never
experienced before, nor had Joseph! The two of them were in a city packed
full of people, but knew not one soul. There wasn’t a familiar face around
for miles. And there in that stable, a special baby was gloriously delivered
to a world that was completely unaware of this miracle...
Ladies, no matter what kind of place or what strange way the Lord may
lead you along, it will be set apart, holy and sacred because of the presence
of Christ. What a blessed God we serve! Jesus makes the strangest places
and pathways sensible to the Christian who seeks after simplicity...
2 Cor. 11:3 (KJV)
But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his
subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is
in Christ.
Here, lying in the manger, we have the simplicity of Christ displayed
before us. How can we, as by faith we view the Lord in such a lowly, godly
state, desire to lavish extravagances upon or seek great things for our
children and ourselves?? Does it not make you painfully aware of your
vanities, your selfish ambitions, and your worldliness? Search your heart
this Christmas as you view the manger scene.... Does a mother really need
to over-indulge her child with riches to be happy? Could you be content
with plainness in living for the Lord just as Christ was content to abandon
the riches of heaven that were His to come and die for you? How many of
us are afraid to follow the Lord because it might mean less luxury for
us and our families, knowing Jesus lovingly accepted less for your sake
and soul. Could it be that Satan has indeed corrupted our minds from the
simplicity that is in Christ?
Ephes. 6:24 (KJV)
Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.
With everyone arriving to be taxed, the conditions in Bethlehem the night
Jesus was born were less than desirable for a woman in labor! Because
the city was quite busy at this particular point in time, there was no
place left for Joseph and Mary to stay. Again, this is not the way you
and I would expect God would work out His plan for Christ's entrance into
the world. Nor would we expect that such a yielded and willing young couple,
eager to serve and please their God, would have to suffer in this manner.
Does it appear to human eyes that God is providing for this compliant
couple? Would your faith be "taxed" under such strenuous circumstances?
Ladies, no matter how disparaging these conditions might seem, they are
still not indicative of the Lord's lack of involvement! Why then should
demanding circumstances be a hindrance to our faith? If nothing is impossible
for God, why do we look at so many situations as impossibilities, thinking
that God is nowhere to be found? Why should we - KNOWING that our God
is deep, KNOWING that our God is unsearchable and His ways past finding
out – be so set back and discouraged when we can't always trace His footsteps
the moment we step out by faith and follow Him? It's a shame that we come
up short every time our faith is taxed!
Mark 11:22 (KJV)
And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.
People today are much like the town of Bethlehem the night of Christ's
birth... They're preoccupied with money; they’re busy with their own plans,
their own thoughts and desires, so full of themselves that they've crowded
out Christ. I hope that as children of God, our hearts aren't in this
kind of shape today. I hope our hearts aren't so jam-packed with our wants
and wishes that we’ve pushed away our Savior or that we miss His presence
altogether! You see ladies; Jesus Christ wants to accompany you on your
journey of faith in this life. Give Him some room, won't you? He'll fill
you with His power and peace, like He did that manger scene so long ago...
Though your circumstances might appear intimidating or overwhelming, don't
be afraid of the requirements that God has placed upon you as you follow
Him. The Lord has ordained that we should all be taxed. When that time
comes, don’t jump off your donkey and run for YOUR life instead of His!
As servants of the Lord, Joseph and Mary faithfully paid their dues –
will you??
God Bless,
Pam
Isaiah 60:1&2
Copyright 2000 Pamela A. Iannello
Revised 2003
