“…and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.” (Luke 2:7)
I have always pictured, and planned out my future, I live by plans and planning is what I do. Yet, as we all know, our lives can take unexpected turns that leave us feeling flatlined and unfulfilled. We start to lose hope when we realize there are some things that are just OUT of our control. Yet, that is where believing comes in.
As I look at the advent season, I realized it is a season about waiting expectantly. What are we called to wait expectantly for? Christ’s coming, and the fulfillment of his promises to us. Yet, what if we have been looking at our lives with preconceived ideas of what it is supposed to look like. Don’t limit God, but wait expectantly for God to answer your prayers in the most unexpected way. What do I mean?
No one expected a King to come as a baby in a manger. No one expected that an Angel would appear to some lowly shepherds first. You see, God would fulfill his promises to us through a carpenter, and an unmarried mother. The whole story is odd, I’m sure anyone LOOKING for the fulfillment of the promise of a KING, would not believe that it would be through a lowly baby boy.
The willingness of the characters to follow God into the unknown, through a crazy maze of adventures astounds me every time. Where they afraid? I’m sure they were. Did they follow God anyways? Yes they did.
Everything happened in the most unlikely way. Don’t short God by expectantly waiting, in anticipation, with it all planned out the way you think it should go. Don’t override the author or your story with how you, “think it should look.” Let him lead you.
Don’t limit a limitless God. Don’t squash the creativity of the master artist. Instead, watch and wait for God to fulfill his promises to you in ways that you never imagined.
![We were gifted a Savior which is Christ the Lord, our sin-bearer who died a death so that we may live and have eternal life. Humanity needed a Savior of their sins and his name was Jesus. Jesus name means, “Yahweh saves.” In the Old Testament, Joshua saves his people from the Canaanites, he foreshadows the real Jeshua/Jesus who saves the world from their sins.
[save & share for encouragement]
In the Christmas story, we are familiar with this passage, “Give him the name Jesus because he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21) As we continue to reflect on the names of Jesus, let us grasp the fullness of what he came to do. He came in humility a small babe, a common man with a common name, and yet the significance/meaning of the name could only be fulfilled through him. Only he has the power to save. Many were named Jeshua, but there is only ONE who lives up to the meaning of this name: Savior.
Luke 2:11 says, “for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” Christ the Lord, an anointed prophet, king, and priest came as a baby to save us from our sins.
Jesus name was common, he lived a common life, yet despite other people having this name, salvation is exclusive to him and he is anything but common, “Yahweh saves.” #chasingsacred](https://www.chasingsacred.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png)
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