Christmas Devotional Day 1: A divine disruption

I am so, SO excited to kick off the

Christmas season with all of you lovely Ladies!

In the next 20 days, we are going to dive into the story of Christmas in a whole new way.

 

Did you know:

The promises surrounding the story of Jesus are just as applicable and true today as they were in the time they were actually happening?  And did you know that God wants you to know this and use it to mold you into all He designed you to be?

Grab a beverage and a fresh journal, and let’s start pulling apart the amazing saving story of our Lord.  I hope and pray you discover the treasures hidden in there for you, and come to know just how amazing His love is for you!

 

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. 

(Matt 1:18 NIV)

 

There’s a saying; “When we plan, God laughs.”

He is in control; THE ultimate planner.  We make appointments and schedule events, but they are and always will be at the mercy of the hand of God.  Just like His plan for us may not include some of the detours we take, our plan for ourselves may not include the detours He takes us on.

Can you just imagine the stress that Mary was under upon realizing she was pregnant?  If you have ever had a plan just go up in flames you know that it takes you down to the floor and back to square one.  How did Mary bounce back?  How did she pick herself up and go on?

 

With faith and hope.

Faith that this was God’s will for her, and hope that she would make it through and complete her part of His plan.

 

Though our detours may not be as dramatic and miraculous as an immaculate conception, we certainly encounter moments that make us feel like we just cannot go on, don’t we?  We would be very, very wise to pray and attempt to emulate the peace that Mary found in knowing that God was with her during this time.

 

To really understand this,

let’s break down the portion: “through the Holy Spirit.”

First, “the Holy Spirit”  Of course we know who the Holy Spirit is.

• This is the One that hovered over the abyss that was the world before creation.
• This is the One that God sent to be with us when He took Jesus back to sit with Him at His right hand.
• This is the One that put Jesus onto the earth, by way of the Virgin Mary.

The original Greek word for Holy Spirit is ἅγιος pronounced “hag-ee-os”

The word is defined as “ sacred (physically, pure, morally blameless or religious, ceremonially consecrated) most Holy, saint.”

 

Second, the word “through”.  Though it’s a familiar word, see what was inspired

The original Greek word for through is ἐκ pronounced “ek”

The word is defined as “a primary preposition denoting origin”.

origin:  the source of something’s existence or from which it derives or is derived

 

 

Mary was a virgin, carrying a child through the Holy Spirit.

Mary was a virgin, carrying a child whose origin was sacred, pure, blameless and Holy.

 

Ladies this scripture should jump off of the page now, because instead of reading that Mary was pregnant, we should read that Mary was injected with the perfect and Holy power of God!

Anything God puts in our path is of His power, actually..  It will be all of these things that defined the origin of Jesus.  Even if we are a virgin in the sense of the action He is asking us to do, He will equip us with the power to complete it and carry us through.

 A new job? 

A struggle in your marriage?

A change in a friendship or business partnership?

 Anything that makes you stop and think is likely and opportunity to feel the power of God working in your life.  Consider it a divine disruption and praise His desire to empower you for the task at hand!

 

Are you experiencing a divine disruption right now?

 

What sort of moments have made you feel as if the Lord is truly at work in your life?

 

Your Fancy Little Takeaway

Begin today with the realization of just how much faith and peace must have been needed in Joseph and Mary’s engagement, and that we desperately need to exercise the same faith and peace in our lives, messy or not.  Prepare yourself to receive God’s messages through all of your tasks today, and accept the power He grants you through the Spirit.  Anything that originates with God must be for the very best for you; embrace it, even if you are unsure of its purpose!

 

 

>>>>>READ Day 2: Consider it Joy>>>>>>>

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