But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Luke 2:10-12
The magnitude of the statement “There has been born for you a Savior” still overwhelms my soul. That is the part that used to stand out the most until a few years ago. I love how the Holy Spirit illuminates a passage in a new way sometimes. It depends on the season of life that I am in or a particular circumstance that I am walking through.
I know that God has an overall plan for my life and that He has gone before me to prepare the way that I need to go. But, sometimes I miss the fact that God isn’t just the God of the big plans and the end game…but He is a God of the little details that I gloss over at times…things that only solidify His power and glory so beautifully.
The end of verse 12 says….”you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Go down to verse 16…”So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger”. It was the “in the manger” that jumped off the page at me and how specific God was in His message to the shepherds. They could have just been told He had been born in Bethlehem…or even a stable…on even the exact one. But God took it even further and He told them exactly where that baby would be and what He would be doing when they got there.
I think about the times right after my children were born. They were in my arms most of the time. Think about a mom and a newborn…how much she is holding, nursing, or changing them and yet God knew the amount of time it would take for the shepherds to arrive at that stable…and that in the exact moment Mary or Joseph were not holding their son but He was swaddled and in the manger. That small detail does not escape me anymore. It only drives me to trust God in all the details of my life. He knows. He cares. He wants to be a part of it all….if I will allow Him to be the Lord of my life.
I pray that this Christmas season you slow down and look for the little things that reflect Him from the crisp chill in the air, soft glow of the lights, sweet taste of treats, or the sound of music that is declaring His birth. May the joy of this blessed season remind you that He is with you in every detail of your lives.
Merry Christmas!!