1) The women listed or referred to in His genealogy were a cast aside woman who posed as a prostitute, a rescued prostitute who was an "unclean" foreigner, a redeemed widow who was an "unclean" foreigner, a woman obtained through adultery and murder, and an unwed mother. (So glad abortion was not an option then!) No woman is unable to be used by Him! If you feel "unclean", let Him rewrite your story.
2) Men considered to be wise went to the current ruler to look for the new ruler. Wise?
(This is not original to me, so I cannot take credit. None the less, it is funny to me every time.)
3) Zacharias, the priest, doubted God when told his wife would give birth in her old age. Mary, a teenage girl, believed she would become pregnant, though she did not know how. Joseph, a simple carpenter, was instructed in a dream to care for Mary and the baby within her and obeyed without doubt, so far as we know. The shepherds went immediately to find the baby about which the angels told them. Sometimes those we consider pillars of faith have more trouble believing and obeying than the common man.
4) Dreams are important! Joseph got three dreams regarding the care and safety of his family. We lose that understanding in our culture often, but the Word is saturated with the Father speaking through dreams. Is the reason He does not speak to us this way because we don't seek it or give credence to it? (Side note: Men, it is your job to protect and lead your families, so do it! Grateful for my husband who leads and cares for us.)
5) Events of His birth happened as the prophets had foretold. What the Father says He will do, He will do. Simeon, who had been promised he would not die before seeing The Christ, and Anna, who had been praying and fasting daily for the redemption of Israel for about 60 years, saw the consolation of Israel when Jesus was brought in to be circumcised. He keeps His promises! If you have not seen what you feel He promised, keep waiting. Keep believing. He will come through!
6) Mothers, let us not forget to take time to treasure up all these things in our hearts. Mary took time when the shepherds came to honor her baby to ponder and treasure the events and words that they shared. She also took time to treasure the events after Jesus separated Himself from the family remaining at the temple and then went home with her and Joseph continuing in subjection under them. Sometimes we get lost in the busyness of life that we miss the moments we need to treasure. Let us take time to treasure what is said about our children and how we see them growing in the Lord. (Even now, I am treasuring up the words one lady shared with me last night about loving to watch my son worship. I hear it a lot about my daughter but not as much about my son, so I must remember to treasure it.)
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