Good morning, Father.<\/p>\n
Children are an amazing gift from You.<\/p>\n
I have a Nativity set that I put out every Christmas. As I take the figurines out of the box, I can\u2019t help but wonder about this odd assemblage of people. What kind of relationship with God did they have to merit such a prominent role in His story?<\/p>\n
First, we\u2019ll take out Baby Jesus. He is after all Savior, Christ, and Lord. Place Him in the manger in the stable. Stables, being dark and dirty, remind us of the kind of place the Messiah has come.<\/p>\n
Beside Jesus, let\u2019s place Mary, His Mother. Although a young girl, when she was told of God\u2019s plan for her life, she responded with faith, obedience, and praise.<\/p>\n
As we set out Joseph, Mary\u2019s husband, we remember he was a righteous man. His faith being stronger than his circumstances, lead to instant obedience to what was revealed to him.<\/p>\n
In the corner of the stable, I place the shepherds. They were open to God\u2019s message of hope, readily heard the angels\u2019 good news, and immediately responded as they set out to find the Babe.<\/p>\n
I put the Magi outside the stable. They were the last to reach Jesus, probably as late as two years after His\u2019 birth. When they got to Jesus’ house, they worshiped and gave Him precious gifts.<\/p>\n
This year, I have placed a figurine of a girl inside the stable. She represents me. I have to ask myself, How do I respond to God\u2019s interruptions in my life?<\/em> If my life is connected to Him, I too will respond out of faith, obedience, and with praise. Being in partnership with God for His redemption purposes is a precious gift. \u201cO Come Let Us Adore Him, Christ The Lord.\u201d<\/p>\n “Ascribe to the Lord the glory of His name; bring an offering and come before Him.” In the name of Jesus, Messiah, the Promised One,
\n(1 Chronicles 16:29a, CSB).<\/p>\n
\nJanet Waters, Brentwood Baptist Church member \/ Prayer Room Intercessor<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Good morning, Father. Children are an amazing gift from You. I have a Nativity set that I put out every Christmas. As I take the figurines out of the box, I can\u2019t help but wonder about this odd assemblage of people. What kind of relationship with God did they have to merit such a prominent…","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n