Sarah & I would like to share with you one of our "first" traditions (if we can call it a tradition yet). We decided to get an Advent calendar for our Christmas season! 1. Because I don't remember the last time I ever went through an Advent calendar 2. Because it's cool and we live in Seattle 3. Because it's biblical (thought I should add this one). We are celebrating Advent, because the word means "coming," and reminds Sarah & I of the best "coming" there ever was! The arrival of our Rescuer, Jesus Christ!
December 11th! Day 11.
Tonight we spent time with our Capital Hill Community, looking at how the Gospel plays a huge role in singleness and marriage. It was a great time to be with the church, talking about life and truth.
Tonight Sarah and I read through Luke 2:1-7 "In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered... And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child." (v. 4, 5)
What a trip this must have been for Joseph and Mary, his pregnant wife. It was probably very uncomfortable; probably felt longer than ever; and they were probably scared about whether the child would be coming during this trip or not. Though Joseph's plan was to head to Bethlehem for registering, God's plan was much greater (Micah 5:2; Matthew 1:5-6). Bethlehem would be the place where this child, the Son of God, would be born!
As Sarah and I read through this, we noticed the timing and way in which God orchestrated everything. Caesar Augustus "just so happened" to put out a decree that everyone needed to be registered. It "just so happened" that Joseph was from the line of David and had to register his family back in Bethlehem, his home town. It "just so happened" that Bethlehem was the town spoken of many hundreds of years before this as the place where Jesus would be born. It "just so happened" that while they were in Bethlehem registering for the census, Mary gave birth to Jesus! Of course, really none of these things were by accident. God was in complete control and His plans were unfolding just as He said they would :-)
Sarah and I love how that's always the case with God. He plans out everything and He makes it happen just as He plans. His plans are not always the easiest, as I'm sure Mary could have told you, but they are always the best plans. He is a good Father and always does what is best for His kids, even when the road ahead seems impossible or we think we have a better plan than God.
May we always trust that His plan is the best and be joyful about it, knowing He is in control of everything. For the best plan of all, the coming of our Savior, Jesus, was His idea! :-)
"And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth. And he shall be their peace..." Micah 5:4-5a
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