Sunday, December 20, 2009

Christmas Story - Part 1

Luke 2:1-3 (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.

Mary and Joseph lived and met in Nazareth. When the angel appeared to Mary, he told her she would give birth to Jesus.

Hmm, the scripture said the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, the City of David. Mary and Joseph both walked in obedience to God. They didn't try to make the prophetic scriptures come true, but lived each day following Him.

Lo and behold, Caesar Augustus decides to tax the people. As part of the decree, they had to go to Bethlehem, the City of David, because Joseph was of the house and lineage of David. God protected them from gossip, prying eyes, and brought them exactly where they needed to be at a specific point in history.

As we follow the Lord on a day-to-day basis, we'll find ourselves in the right place at the right time. He knows the path, and we can trust Him to bring us into our destiny.

11 comments:

Karen Lange said...

I like that, Susan - that we find ourselves at the right place at the right time. He does know our paths and is already in our tomorrows. Blessings! :)

Susan J. Reinhardt said...

Hi Karen -

Thanks for stopping by and commenting. :)

My prayer is that I'll not jump ahead of His plan or lag behind.

Blessings,
Susan

Patti Lacy said...

Beth Moore refers to destiny in the Esther Bible Study I'm doing.
Who knows but that you were made for such a time as this?

Didn't our Lord set the standard for following destiny when he took on the human shell and carried it all the way to the cross!

Beautiful post!

Patti
www.pattilacy.com/blog

Susan J. Reinhardt said...

Hi Jess -

Merry Christmas!

Blessings,
Susan :)

Susan J. Reinhardt said...

Hi Patti -

Thanks for stopping by.

Those same incidents went through my mind as I wrote this post. I appreciate you bringing them into the comments. (It's tempting to turn blog posts into 1,000-word articles.)

Blessings,
Susan :)

quietspirit said...

Susan:
It's always refreshing to think that God sent His Son to earth AS A BABY and sent the angels to the poor shepherds in the fields.

Susan J. Reinhardt said...

Hi Quiet Spirit -

Yes, but that's how human beings enter this earth - through birth. Since He was to be the son of David according to the prophetic word, it was the only way to arrive. :)

Blessings,
Susan

Unknown said...

It's so like our God to orchestrate all of the circumstances so things just fall into place! What an awesome God! Merry Christmas, Susan!

Susan J. Reinhardt said...

Hi Maria -

Thanks for your comment. We serve an awesome God.

Merry Christmas,
Susan :)

North Jersey Christian Writers Group said...

Susan,
Great post! Important to remember that Mary & Joseph didn't try to rush God's plan. Thanks!
And thanks for being part of the 40 Day Focus!
Susan

Susan J. Reinhardt said...

Hi Susan -

Thanks for stopping by and commenting.

Trying to make God's plan happen is akin to forcing a rose to bloom by pulling on its petals. We end up making a mess.

Blessings,
Susan :)