Like everyone else, I have watched the countdown to Christmas. It seems the days have sped by like Santa’s reindeer flying from chimney to chimney. I thought just yesterday we were roasting that turkey and giving thanks over noodles and dressing. And then the countdown began as we were taking the last bite of pumpkin pie.
Today I noticed that it is now seven days until Christmas
day and many people still have a to-do list that is still very long. When Mary was
seven days away from delivering the baby Jesus what was she thinking? Maybe there
were many things unchecked on her list. I can’t imagine how uncomfortable she
must have been riding a donkey all that way to Bethlehem or perhaps even
walking. Being so uncomfortable could have made her forget who she would soon
deliver. Was the angel’s visit pushed to the side as she looked ahead to seven difficult
days of traveling in her condition? She might have been concerned she might not
make it to an appropriate place to give birth to the Promised One? Will the
whispers as she walked by people in her little village be dismissed or the fear
she sometimes felt as she tried to sleep dissipate? In just seven days, in God’s timing,
happiness will replace the sadness and her former discomfort would flee when
she looked into the glorious face of Hope?
Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you
will bear. Luke 1:42
And His name shall be
called Jesus! Luke 1:31
I wonder what the
shepherds were thinking about just days out from the first Christmas. Since
they had no idea of what would be taking place seven days from then, their
minds might have been on lost sheep or the wild animals that surrounded their
flock last night. They didn’t know angels would soon announce the birth of the
Savior to this motley crew. That peace and goodwill would be proclaimed as sung by a chorus of celestial beings. They had no idea that they were to see
glorious hope in the face of a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and that they
would kneel at the manger bed and worship Jesus the Savior.
The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and
praising God for all they heard and saw. It was just as the angel had told
them. Luke 2:20
My thoughts go also to the magi who would start their
travels in just one week from then because according to them the star would
appear that would signal that the Messiah would be born. Finally, the
prophecies would be fulfilled and the sighting of the star would at last be
realized. How would it be to say goodbye to the family for who knows how long?
Their travels would not be easy but in seven days they would begin seeking the
glorious face of the Son of God, the Hope of the world. May we seek Him also.
And Mary pondered all
these things. Luke 2:19
How could our lives be changed in seven short days? Like Mary,
the physical discomfort as we travel the road of our life or the fear of
troubles to come might plague us? As the unsuspecting shepherds, do we see the
enemy surrounding us with sin? Do you see a great distance from where you are
now to where you want to be? Maybe you, like the wise men, are waiting for a
sign of when and what way you should go next. What is God’s will for you? Prayers
might be answered as we kneel to praise the baby boy who grew up to die for our
sins. Joy may radiate from your very being as you are freed from the chains of
sin. Don’t push to the side the promises of the word of God instead as you gaze
into the face of Hope this Christmas open and receive His salvation as His gift
to you.
But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you
good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of
David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.” Luke 2:10
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