Category: Devotionals

With all the bright lights and music pointing to Christmas, Advent is a beautiful time of year.  But not everyone feels beautiful.

Have you ever felt unlovely? The teenager rues the acne that spreads across his face. The middle-aged woman looks in the mirror and sees the extra pounds the years have added. The older man combs thinning hairs over a balding pate.

When a woman is in her eighth or ninth month of pregnancy, she feels more and more like a beached whale. The clothes that were so huge and baggy a few months ago, are now stretching at the seams. Fitting into a narrow airline seat is a challenge. A protruding misshapen stomach bumps into the kitchen counter. Bending over and tying one’s shoes becomes an Olympic feat.

By this point in her pregnancy, Mary may have felt…unattractive.

In her last trimester, she may have felt less than lovely. Her ankles may have swollen. Her back likely was sore. Everything about her youthful body had changed.  Would she ever be slim again?   Looking at the classic artistic renderings of the mother and child, she might laugh out loud. Would she even recognize herself?

Every person feels unlovely at some point in his or her life. Sometimes we feel unlovely as we look in a mirror, but other times we look deeper and see all the ways we fall short of our expectations. How could anyone love us when we are so selfish? Who would want to be near us when we are angry or impatient? What person would be willing to stand at our side when we have embarrassed ourselves or brought disrepute on God’s family?

In the book of Psalms (many of which, I suspect, were filched from David’s private journal), David never hid his unattractive side from God. If he was happy, he sang about it, but if he was angry, he told God about it. If he felt remorseful, he wept about his sin. There were times when he felt, well, unattractive. He felt unworthy of any affection. In Psalm 8, he wrote, “What is man that You should think of us, mere humans that You should care for us?”  In Psalm 51, he confesses, “I recognize my shameful deeds – they haunt me day and night.”

Yet God doesn’t think about our appearance. He who looks on the heart sees only His beloved child.

If you are feeling unattractive today, read Isaiah 43:4 where your heavenly Father declares that “You are precious in My sight. . . you are honored and I love you.”

Welcome back to the 18th day of this Advent series of devotionals on the emotions Jesus’ mother felt during her pregnancy.

Holidays from work usually offer people an opportunity for rest, but sleep is always elusive for me. I average six hours per night. Through the years, I have accumulated lots of tricks to help me get to sleep. I might take a hot shower, avoid watching TV, unplug all the LED lights, make sure the room is pitch dark, and take a couple ibuprofen. If none of those steps work, I climb out of bed, head to the kitchen, and eat a slice of cheese on whole wheat bread.

What do you do when you are tired but can’t rest? In bed with the lights out, I plan my day, I review scripture memory work, I pray. I go through the alphabet and pray for Anthony, Beth, Caroline, David. I fear Xavier, Yvonne and Zach don’t get their fair share of prayers since I usually fall asleep before getting to that end of the alphabet. The really frustrating part? My husband sleeps soundly the moment his head hits the pillow.

As Mary neared the seventh month of her pregnancy, she too struggled to get sleep. She felt…weary.

During the final months of pregnancy, Mary would have had an increasingly difficult time getting to sleep. She couldn’t sleep on her stomach. Turning from one side to another in bed was like heaving an enormous sack of potatoes across the room. During the day, while Mary was active, the baby was quiet within. But when she lay down to rest at night, the baby sensed that now it was safe to play. Poor Mary had to try to sleep while being pummeled from within!

It does seem unfair that Joseph, like my husband, managed to sleep soundly. Three times he was deep asleep when an angel appeared to him in dreams.

Are you weary today as you face another week? Do you feel like giving up?  Hebrews 4:10 reminds us that, “All who enter into God’s rest will find rest from their labors, just as God rested after creating the world.” If you listen for God’s voice and obey His Word, He will supply all the strength you need for this day.

Daily devotionals during Advent have been a family tradition in our home for around thirty years now. We began when our children were small and had difficulty waiting for Christmas to arrive. Like most young children, our sons and daughter would lift the packages and shake them to determine what might be inside. Did that box contain a new set of Legos? Was that an EasyBake oven? The children would sit around the tree eying all the gifts, trying to decide which one they would open on Christmas Eve.

To ease their impatience for Christmas in those early days, I placed a small box on the table each night during Advent. Wrapped in silver with a bright bow on top, the box had a false bottom which we could open night after night. Inside was a simple craft with a scripture verse that spoke about the theme for that season. One child would get to create the craft, another would read the scripture. Opening the box each night was a special honor rotated among the three kids. Opening the Advent “gift” released some of their energy as they waited to open the packages under the tree.

As the months passed and her belly swelled, Mary too felt…anticipation.

Like all pregnant mothers, Mary was anxious to meet her child. What would he look like? Would he be healthy? What would his future hold? Mary may have urged Joseph to complete the construction of a cradle. She herself gathered swaddling to wrap the baby. It was hard to wait those last months.

In Romans 8:21, the writer Paul talks about the future glory that believers will enjoy in heaven. “All creation anticipates the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay.” The new believers were anxiously looking forward to the day when they would be released from persecution and suffering, but Paul urged them to wait patiently.

A friend of mine died last week. His wait is over. This year he will get to celebrate Christmas in God’s throne room! Do you ever think about heaven? Are you eager to get there?

Thanks for continuing to come back to join in on our family’s Advent tradition.  For those who are only now joining us, be sure to read the earlier posts as well.

One year I asked our oldest son what he would like for his birthday. Tim replied that he wanted a 20-piece box of chicken McNuggets all for himself. On the rare occasions we went to a fast-food restaurant, Tim had to share a box with his two younger siblings. So that year when his special day approached, Tim and I headed to McDonald’s.

Half an hour later Tim was manfully struggling to down the last greasy bite of chicken. His stomach ached, and he learned, as most of us eventually do, that sharing offers benefits.

Did the mother of Jesus ever feel…selfish?

The child within Mary’s womb was not to be hers alone. He was destined to be the Savior of the World. Mary would have to share her precious first-born son not only with her husband and immediate family, but with all the world. Later, when Jesus traveled with His parents to Jerusalem at age twelve, He told Mary that He must be about His Father’s business, leaving His family and home in Nazareth to serve God’s people. And after He began His ministry, Jesus told the crowd in Mark 3:33-35, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” Looking around at the people, he continued, “These are are my mother and brothers. Anyone who does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”

Mary may have been the mother of God but she was also very human. Such words must have pierced her heart. There must have been other times when she found it difficult to share her son with all those who demanded His attention. Sick people surrounded Him. Disciples asked questions. Pharisees and Jewish leaders tried to trick Jesus. Mary must have longed to take Him in her arms and protect Him from their attacks. Did she miss Him being home for the holidays?

Imagine how different your life would be today if Mary had refused to allow us to know her son. Because Mary shared her son and because of His unselfish love, you and I now benefit for all eternity.

Advent is traditionally a time for fasting and restraint, but in our world, with all the Christmas treats around during this season, it is easy to add on pounds. Those candies and cookies magically turn into fat all on their own. Without any effort on my part, my body automatically processes the carbohydrates and fats and assigns them a place on my hips!

Is the development of an infant within the womb any less amazing? Without any effort of the mother’s part, the growing child develops arms and legs, tiny fingers and toes. The mother does not have to remind the child, “Let’s work on developing lungs today. Oh, don’t forget ears too. And keep that heart beating!” All these elements happen automatically within the womb, unseen by human eyes.

If Mary had been aware of fetal development, she would have been awed, but even without that knowledge she was…amazed.

Though unable to peer into the confines of the womb, Mary had already seen more than enough to amaze her. An angel had appeared in front of her, her husband Joseph accepted her account about her pregnancy, her elderly cousin had just given birth to a baby, Zecharias could speak again. As she pondered each of these miracles, Mary’s heart pounded with excitement. God was at work!

When is the last time you reminded your own heart to keep beating or you urged your lungs to take a breath? Take a moment and look down at your hands and gaze with awe at how each muscle and nerve and bone fits together to accomplish a purpose. Do you take those things for granted?  Or are you amazed?   Psalm 139:14 says, “Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous – and how well I know it!”

Our God is awe-some!

Mary experienced powerful emotions during her personal Advent, waiting for the birth of her son Jesus.  Those emotions ebbed and flowed, not necessarily following any logical order but weaving back and forth to create a beautiful fabric of their own.

In my job with Bethany Christian Services, I work with birthmoms who are making an adoption plan. Their decision to trust another family to care for their child is never easy. The birthmoms become attached to the child who has resided within their body for nine long months.

Today, for example, I participated in a placement ceremony for a two-week old baby. There were many tears. The adoptive parents wept with joy as they received a beautiful baby to raise as their own. At the same time, the birthmother cried as she handed her child into the care of the adoptive mother. Knowing she was making the best choice for her child given her own difficult circumstances did not make the action any easier for the birthmom. Her decision to go ahead with the adoption plan was an voluble expression of her enormous love for her child, her desire that her child have opportunities that she the birth mom could not provide.

Mary too became attached to the child within her womb. With each passing day, she felt increasing…love.

Before Jesus was even born, Mary loved Him. Before she ever saw his face or changed a single diaper, her heart overflowed with a desire to care for Him, to nurture Him.

Romans 5:8 tells us that “God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” Just as the child within the womb of a mother has done nothing to earn her favor, you and I did nothing to win God’s affection. As Mary fell in love with Jesus long before His birth, God too loved you and me long before we turned to Him.

You and I have not yet seen God the Father face to face, but one day each of us will.  How can we, not having seen Him, demonstrate our love for Him today?

Welcome once again to this journey back to the very first Advent season, the nine months of Mary’s pregnancy.

One of my co-workers is completing her fourth month of pregnancy. I recently asked if she had felt the baby kick yet. Since this is her first pregnancy, she wasn’t sure what that felt like but she thought maybe she had. She experienced something like butterflies moving about inside her womb, a gentle feathery sensation of movement. That private moment was one only she could feel. Her husband would have to wait for a few more weeks to pass before he could join in her excitement of feeling the baby move.

Mary, too, was only finishing her fourth month. Did Mary recognize that first feathery movement within her womb soon after she returned to Joseph in Nazareth?

When she did, Mary experienced…tenderness.

Like my co-worker, Mary had a private moment. I imagine a small smile spreading across her face as she felt that first soft flutter. It was too early for Joseph to place his calloused hand on her stomach and feel such a fine sensation. This moment was only for mother and child.

The verb “tender” refers to something that is fragile and easily crushed, like a rose petal. It is a word often used to describe God’s love for His children. Psalm 103: 13 tells us, “The LORD is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him.”

Are you feeling fragile today, about to be crushed by all the cares of this world? Pause in your worries and ask your heavenly Father to set aside a private moment for just the two of you. I know that a gentle smile will light up His face as He hears your request.

My grandson had his Christmas program for preschool last night.  He practiced his songs and danced around the living room for days, flailing his arms as he whirled hither and yon.  It took four adults to keep an eye on this ball of energy. After the program, he came home and collapsed in bed exhausted.  We adults were able to sit back and relax.

As Mary entered the fifth month of her personal Advent, her womb began to swell. Gone was the excessive yearning for sleep that accompanies the first trimester of a pregnancy.

With this being her first pregnancy, she had fewer responsibilities in the home. There were no other children to care for. She had time to ponder. After all the emotional energy poured into telling her parents and Joseph, after the physical strain of traveling to and from Judea to help Elizabeth, and after the mental exercise of studying prophecies of the Messiah with Zechariah, Mary was at last able to pause, sit down, and think about her son.

As she pondered, Mary was able to experience…peace.

Christmas is a busy season for all of us, but today consider taking time off from all your activities and remember what Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Ponder anew all the blessings God has poured down on your life in the past year.

Our time of Advent is almost half over already. How far along was Mary now in her pregnancy? It too was almost half over.

The angel Gabriel told Mary that her relative Elizabeth was already in her sixth month when he first appeared to Mary. Assuming that Mary spent a few weeks preparing for the trip to see her relatives in Judea, and knowing that she stayed in the home of Elizabeth and Zechariah for three months, we can guess that Mary was present at the birth of baby John. And so, by the time she returned to Galilee, Mary herself was close to the end of her fourth month of pregnancy.

During the fifth month of her pregnancy, Mary, like Elizabeth before her, may have entered an extended period of seclusion. Matthew’s gospel tells us that Joseph did not have relations with Mary during this pregnancy. The purpose of seclusion, a time apart from society, was to isolate a person who was “ritually unclean.” A man was not to have sex, or any physical contact, with his wife during a ritual period of isolation, a time set aside for religious reasons rather than hygienic ones. The man would be defiled by such contact. In this case, however, Joseph was not the one who would be defiled by touching his wife. Mary was not ritually unclean: She was carrying God’s own child. On the contrary, Joseph abstained from touching his wife to avoid defiling Mary.

In her isolation, Mary felt…cherished.

Even as Mary cherished the new life within her, she rejoiced in the fact that her husband cherished her enough not to demand his rights as her husband.

In Philippians 2:20, St. Paul was in prison and unable to visit his cherished churches. He spoke of his appreciation for Timothy’s love for the church at Philippi. “I have no one likeminded with him, who will cherish a genuine care for you.” (WEY)

Whom do you cherish? A child? A Parent? A dear friend? A spiritual counselor? Why not write a note of encouragement to that person today? If you can’t write a note, say a prayer of thanks to God for that person.

Advent is a time for hope.  I trust these devotionals about events that happened two thousand years ago in the past are helping you look forward to Christ’s future return.

When Mary headed to Judea to see Elizabeth, Zechariah was also in the home. As a priest, Zechariah was familiar with the Law, but  k nowing his own son would be a forerunner for the Messiah, he spent some serious time during Elizabeth’s pregnancy boning up on all the prophecies about the Messiah. How do I know? If you look at the cross-references in your Bible margins near Zechariah’s song of praise in Luke 1, they lead you like a radioactive tracer to all the places where Zechariah spent his own devotional time during those early months. He had been studying in 1 Samuel, Isaiah, Ezekiel and Malachi. He wanted to be able to teach his son all he would need to know for his future ministry.

Thus, when Mary showed up on Zechariah’s doorstep, his excitement about the coming Messiah overflowed on to Mary. As they looked together at the scriptures and their promise of a redeemer, Mary’s heart filled with…hope.

In Luke 1:76, Zechariah sang to his infant child, “You, my little son, will be called the prophet of the Most High, because you will prepare the way for the Lord. You will tell his people how to find salvation through forgiveness of their sins.” Mary heard his prophecy and realized that even as her elderly relative rejoiced in the future of his son’s ministry, he was also revealing her own son’s future. Her son Jesus would be, as Zechariah pointed out, the one “to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.”

What hopes do you have for the new year? Psalm 33:22 reminds us, “Let your unfailing love surround us, LORD, for our hope is in you alone.”