Debbie's Perspective

Just my thoughts of the day.

Dec 19

30 Days in the Christmas Story: Day 25

by Debbie

Through all the scriptures we’ve read about Mary so far, she hasn’t been fearful, doubtful, amazed, or astonished. What we’ve seen is that she’s been contemplative. She’s examined and mulled over all that she’s seen and heard. Why? I think it’s because this isn’t a one-time experience for her. She is in this for the long haul. The pregnancy and birth are only the beginning of this long journey she is on. Now, the baby has been born, the shepherds have come and gone, and it’s time to get on with life.

“And when eight days were completed so that it was time for His circumcision, He was also named Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.” Luke 2:21 (NASB2020)

Joseph and Mary are parents, and their job is to make sure all that needs to happen happens. The first event that needed to happen was to get the baby circumcised and named. Both of these things were an act of obedience. One was a command from Leviticus 12:3, and by following this command, they showed their devotion to God and enabled Jesus to fulfill the law. The second event, naming Jesus the name given to them by the angel, was not only obedience to what they were told to do, but like it was with Zechariah, a show of their belief in all that they had been told.

“And when the days of their purification according to the Law of Moses were completed, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord: ‘Every firstborn male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord’), and to offer a sacrifice according to what has been stated in the Law of the Lord: ‘A pair of turtledoves or two young doves.’” Luke 2:22-24 (NASB2020)

Again, all that needed to be done to fulfill the law was done. While they were there in the temple, a man named Simeon, a righteous and devout man who had been told by the Holy Spirit that he would not die until he had seen the Messiah, was led by the Holy Spirit into the temple as Mary and Joseph brought Jesus in. He took Jesus into his arms and blessed God, and prophesied over Him.  This is where we read that Joseph and Mary were amazed at the things that were being said about Jesus.

“Jesus’ parents were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them, and he said to Mary, the baby’s mother, ‘This child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, and many others to rise. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose Him. As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul.’” Luke 2:33-35 (NLT)

Other translations say they marveled at what they heard. They’ve already had angel visits, and they’ve heard from the shepherds all that they had seen, so why marvel or be amazed at what Simeon was telling them? I believe the difference in this is that they realized they were not alone. God had set in the heart of another an understanding of who their Son was and would become. This was another piece in the puzzle that would be His life.

Today’s truth is that the everyday things of life that we need to do keep us on the path that can lead to amazing things. So many times, we stress and strive, worried we’ll miss something big we think should happen, but if we’ll stay obedient to the things we know are right, God will bring the big things to us.

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Dec 18

30 Days in the Christmas Story: Day 24

by Debbie

The shepherds saw and heard the angel’s declaration, they sought out the babe in the manger, and what they saw and heard drove them into the streets to share this incredible experience.

“The shepherds returned to their flock, ecstatic over what had happened. They praised God and glorified Him for all they had heard and seen for themselves, just like the angel had said.” Luke 2:20 (TPT)

To these shepherds, the Messiah was no longer a story they had heard about all their lives. They experienced the truth for themselves and saw that it was real, just as they had been told. This experience with the babe Jesus and the confirmation of all they had been told caused them to praise and glorify God.

“If the cradle of Christ had such an effect upon them, as to make them rise from the stable and the manger to heaven, how much more powerful ought the death and resurrection of Christ to be in raising us to God?” (Calvin)

“But Mary treasured all these things in her heart and often pondered what they meant.” Luke 2:19 (TPT)

Once again, we see Mary responding in a different way than others around her. All these details aren’t passing her by, she is treasuring it all in her heart and thinking of it often. All that Gabriel told her about this child, everything she heard from Elizabeth and Zechariah, now the shepherds’ story and worship are all being pondered by this young mother as she considers the deeper meaning of it all. Mary had a habit of documenting all she was experiencing around this special child Jesus, whether she wrote it down or not, she was keeping track of it all.

Today’s truth is that we must experience Jesus for ourselves. He can’t be just a story we’ve heard about or some academic theology we adhere to. As we draw close to Christmas day, when people all over the world celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, let us open our hearts to the truth of God with us and experience for ourselves His presence in our lives.

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Dec 17

30 Days in the Christmas Story: Day 23

by Debbie

We left off with the shepherds in the field watching their flock at night. All at once, an angel appears as well as the glory of God shining all around them. The angel comes with incredible news; the Messiah has just been born in Bethlehem.

“Then all at once in the night sky, a vast number of glorious angels appeared, the very armies of heaven! And they all praised God, singing:

‘Glory to God in the highest realms of heaven! For there is peace and good hope given to the sons of men.’ Luke 2:13-14 (TPT)

I think one angel with the glory of God would be pretty amazing, but the very armies of heaven, audible and visible…whoa! This news, this life-giving, grace-filled news, needed a whole choir of praise and glory to herald it in. The armies of heaven couldn’t contain themselves because they knew what this would mean for all people everywhere at all times.

“When the choir of angels disappeared and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let’s go! Let’s hurry and find this Word (in Greek, it’s the word Rhema) who is born in Bethlehem and see for ourselves what the Lord has revealed to us.’ So they hurried off and found their way to Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in a feeding trough.” Luke 2:15-16 (TPT)

They heard the message, and they went. The invitation is still given to us today. The Word is not still lying in a manger for us to run and see, but the life-giving, grace-filled news that Jesus came to us, Immanuel, God with us, is still held out. We have the same choice the shepherds had on that night long ago; sit and marvel at the wonder of it all but do nothing, or go, hurry, and run to seek out this Savior sent to set us free.

“Upon seeing this miraculous sign, the shepherds recounted what had just happened. Everyone who heard the shepherds’ story was astonished by what they were told.” Luke 2:17-18 (TPT)

Once we find Christ, the Messiah, then it’s up to us to once again do what the shepherds did and share our story. Everyone they shared this story with were astonished. I know not all believed, there had to be those who said, “Crazy shepherds, what are they going on about? Angels, a baby in a feeding trough, who can believe that wild story?” But there had to be others who listened and believed that night, and their lives would never be the same. I’m in the camp of believers, it’s not some sweet story I’ve heard all my life. I heard, I examined, and now I’m sharing this wonderful story with others.

Today’s truth is this; when you hear the message of peace and hope meant for all people everywhere at all times, you have a choice to hear and walk away or believe, receive, and go tell your story.

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Dec 16

30 Days in the Christmas Story: Day 22

by Debbie

We left off with Mary and Joseph laying Jesus in a manger. What happens next is an amazing part of this story.

“And in the same region, there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, ‘Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.’” Luke 2:8-12 (NLT)

Bethlehem was just a few miles from Jerusalem. Most of the sheep here were used in the temple sacrifices. It must be significant that the first people who are told about Jesus’ birth are the same ones who care for these sheep.  

The shepherds were out in the fields taking care of their sheep and probably sitting around a fire when suddenly, an angel showed up, and not just the angel, all around him was the glory of the Lord. Since it says the glory of the Lord shone around them, I’m thinking it was bright, like daytime. They were filled with fear, and the angel had to tell them not to fear and then give them the message he came to deliver. Do you think the angel gets tired of people always being afraid of him and having to lead with that instead of the great message he’s carrying, or is he just used to it by now?

This good news of great joy was for all people. It still is. There is not one soul left out of the wonderful gift of Jesus, all you must do is receive it. Not only does the angel say that this news is for all people, but he also doubles down on it and tells them, “…unto you is born…” This child born in the city of David is the Savior, who is Messiah the Lord – the promised one you’ve waited for all these centuries, He is Lord, God, deity, and he is born for you. Then the angel must give them a sign to look for that is meant for them, he’s wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.

What?! To us, these words may seem normal because we’ve heard this story many times, but the angel has just told them the Savior Messiah, the Lord [God], was just born, and he’s not in a palace somewhere, he’s lying in a feeding trough in Bethlehem, and they are invited to go see Him. 

Today’s truth is that the proclamation of Jesus’ birth is unto us as much as it was to those shepherds. Because Jesus came as Immanuel, God with us, through Him we have peace with God and access by faith to the grace God freely gives.

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Dec 15

30 Days in the Christmas Story: Day 21

by Debbie

We’ve talked about Jesus being a part of the Godhead from before time began, Zechariah and Elizabeth receiving the news, and then the miracle of their son, John, who came as a forerunner to the Messiah. Mary had a visit from the angel Gabrielle, Joseph had a dream, and now we are closing in on the biggest event mankind has ever known.

Luke anchors this story once again in history. This part of the story is during the reign of the Roman emperor, Caesar Augustus. Quirinius was the governor of Syria at the time. Everyone was called back to the city of their tribal origin to register. Real people during a real time in history, affecting the lives of many and ultimately affecting the lives of every Jesus follower.

“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.’” Luke 2:4-5 (NLT)

Both Joseph and Mary were from the lineage of David. Both had to return and register. This is a simple thing that we think just happened at that time. Caesar Augustus decided to decree that all the world should be registered. But we know from prophecy that Jesus was to be born in Bethlehem. If not for this census, Joseph and Mary wouldn’t have traveled through mountainous rocky terrain for somewhere around 70 miles on foot and riding a donkey for the fun of it. Especially not while Mary was close to giving birth.

Just a side note, when I first read “Mary, his betrothed…” I thought, wait a minute, Joseph took her home to be his wife. But then I realized that to move from betrothed to married, the marriage had to be consummated. That was the final step in the process. Prior to Jesus’ birth, Mary remained a virgin, so even though she was kept and cared for by Joseph, she was still his betrothed until after the birth.

“And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger because there was no place for them in the inn.” Luke 2:6-7 (NLT)

Two small verses about our Savior’s birth. I have so many questions. I’m sure women at that time were the same as today and talked in detail about their birth experiences with other moms. But Luke doesn’t give us any details. Did Joseph help her? Did he run for a midwife? She’s the one who wrapped him in swaddling cloths. Was that the mother’s job, or if she had a midwife, would they have done that? You couldn’t have just anyone there to help with the birth of God’s Son. Luke was a doctor and could have given us so many more details about this incredible birth, but apparently, the details we have here are all we need to know.

She gave birth, she wrapped him in the cloths that were the norm at the time, but this detail is going to be a sign to the shepherds in just a few verses. Because there was no room in the inn, they were relegated to a place where animals sheltered and ate. His first bed was not in a palace with furniture made of gold and soft fabrics; the ‘bread of life’ was laid in a feeding trough.

Today’s truth is that every tiny detail of Jesus’ birth was planned and orchestrated by God the Father, and every tiny detail of our lives are in His hands as well. I can trust that even when things don’t happen as I expect, He is working everything out for my good according to His plan.

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Dec 14

30 Days in the Christmas Story: Day 20

by Debbie

Expectation (Revised and reposted from December 19, 2021)

My lack of expectation could have cost me the child I had longed for. Decades of dashed hopes and the disgrace of barrenness had hardened my heart and caused me to lose hope that my prayers would ever be answered. Now, as I stand here holding this miracle of God, I think back to that life-changing day.

It started out as any other day with my order of priests on duty for the week. I had been chosen by lot to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense. I hadn’t been in the Holy Place for long before he appeared, a huge angel of the Lord standing right there to the right of the incense altar. I was so overwhelmed by fear that I almost couldn’t stand.

He told me not to fear and called me by my name, Zechariah. Then he started telling me the wildest story – Elizabeth was going to give me a son, and we were to name him John. He went on to describe the boy and all he would do. It sounded incredible, but didn’t he realize how old Elizabeth and I were? How could this possibly be true?

I realize now that he could have struck me dead right then and there. What a fool I was. How was I doubting this when I was looking right into the eyes of this angelic being? Instead of striking me dead, he let me know that he was Gabriel and he stands in the very presence of God. God Himself had sent him to tell me this good news. But now that I had not believed him, I would be made silent and unable to speak until the child was born.

It didn’t matter that I had my doubts, God was still faithful to His promise, and this would be fulfilled in its proper time.

The other priests were waiting on me and had begun to worry that something was wrong. When I walked out and couldn’t speak, they knew something had happened. I finally got them to understand I had seen a vision. I’m thankful my merciful God gave me the time to regain my faith. Now I stand here holding the son He promised we would have.

John, his name is John, and I wait with great expectation to see all that the angel told me about him come to pass.

Luke 1:5-25; 57-79 NLT

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Dec 13

30 Days in the Christmas Story: Day 19

by Debbie

Luke 1:56 tells us that Mary stayed there with Elizabeth for about three months and then went home. It doesn’t tell us if she stayed for the birth of John or left before he was born. Since she arrived when Elizabeth was six months pregnant and was there with her for three months, you would assume she stayed until the baby was born. Was this a preparation time for her own pregnancy and delivery?

“When it was time for Elizabeth’s baby to be born, she gave birth to a son. And when her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had been very merciful to her, everyone rejoiced with her. When the baby was eight days old, they all came for the circumcision ceremony. They wanted to name him Zechariah, after his father. But Elizabeth said, ‘No, his name is John!’ ‘What,’ they exclaimed. ‘There is no one in all your family by that name.’ So, they used gestures to ask the baby’s father what he wanted to name him. He motioned for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s surprise, he wrote, ‘His name is John.’ Instantly Zechariah could speak again, and he began praising God.” Luke 1:59-64 (NLT)

Elizabeth had a boy, just as God had promised she would. All the neighbors and relatives rejoiced with them; just what Gabriel told them would happen. Now came the naming of the child. Since Zechariah was unable to speak, the crowd assumed they knew what he would want this boy to be named, Zechariah, of course. Elizabeth is quick and adamant that his name is John. They acted like she was crazy and then asked Zechariah what he wanted to name him. You can’t really blame them for not understanding why Elizabeth would name the child some name that wasn’t attached to their family. In any other instance, Zechariah would have wanted this boy he had waited for all these years to have his name.

It’s puzzling to me why they would use gestures to ask Zechariah since he was not deaf but merely mute. Since he communicated with gestures, it may have seemed natural to talk to him using gestures as well. But this may indicate that he and Elizabeth had both cloistered themselves away, not sharing this coming miracle with anyone else until it actually came to pass. We might even think that Zechariah was still harboring some light doubt, but the way he quickly let them know his son’s name was John without any hesitation is telling. This was an act of faith and obedience for Zechariah. He may have doubted the initial announcement, but it is clear here that he no longer doubted the promise God had given him. God was faithful to return his voice, and the first thing he did was praise the God who keeps His promises. He was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied about God’s goodness, power to save, mercy, and much more. You can read his whole prophecy in Luke 1:68-79.

Awe struck everyone, they spread the news through the Judean hills, and those who heard the story wondered what this special child would turn out to be. It was evident to everyone that God had his hand on this boy.

The last verse in this chapter tells us that “John grew up and became strong in spirit. And he lived in the wilderness until he began his public ministry in Israel.” Luke 1:80 (NLT) He fulfilled everything the angel said about him during his life.

Today’s truth is that if God says it is going to happen, it does. When we look at the Word of God, we see prophecies that are spoken centuries before they come to pass, but they come to pass. We see others spoken, and in a short time, it happens. If story after story shows us evidence that God is faithful to what He says He will do, we can be sure that every promise in His Word that hasn’t been fulfilled yet, is on its way.

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Dec 12

30 Days in the Christmas Story: Day 18

by Debbie

For the past few days, we’ve examined why God chose Mary to be the mother of His Son. Well, why we think He may have chosen Mary. We’ve already seen that she is humble and willing to do whatever the Lord asks of her, even in the face of some very formidable circumstances. Today as we read her beautiful Magnificat, I believe it reveals an even deeper view of who Mary was and why God would choose her.

Mary responded,

“Oh, how my soul praises the Lord.
How my spirit rejoices in God, my Savior!
For he took notice of his lowly servant girl,
and from now on, all generations will call me blessed.
For the Mighty One is holy,
and he has done great things for me.
He shows mercy from generation to generation
to all who fear him.
His mighty arm has done tremendous things!
He has scattered the proud and haughty ones.
He has brought down princes from their thrones
and exalted the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things
and sent the rich away with empty hands.
He has helped his servant Israel
and remembered to be merciful.
For he made this promise to our ancestors,
to Abraham and his children forever.”

Luke 1:46-55 (NLT)

There it is right there!  Mary knew the covenant promises of God, and she already believed they would come to pass. She didn’t just know them, she believed them. She already knew about all He had done. Her praises are filled with references to the Law, the Psalms, and the Prophets.

Mary wasn’t just another Israelite girl who was the right age and of the right lineage.  She was a girl who had her heart filled with the Word of God! So, when God called on her to be the vessel to bring His Son into the world, she was ready and willing.

Today’s truth is our God is worthy of all our praise and honor! He is mighty to save and has done great things for us.

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Dec 11

30 Days in the Christmas Story: Day 17

by Debbie

There were two verses in the middle of the angel telling Mary about Jesus and her response that we didn’t look at. They are important, and they could have had something to do with Mary’s quick response.

“And listen, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age, and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month. For with God nothing [is or ever] shall be impossible.” Luke 36-37 (AMP)

Mary would have known about her aunt’s disgrace of being barren for all those years. She would have known her time had passed, but now the angel is telling her about this impossible gift that didn’t just happen but has been for six months. Mary is young and hasn’t had a lifetime of disappointments to cloud her wonder and awe of the things she is hearing. The angel tells her what will happen to her, he tells her what has already happened to her aunt, and he’s told her how it will happen. The only thing left is for her to answer, and she says yes, let everything you’ve said about me come true.

In the next few verses, we see Mary immediately heading to visit Zechariah and Elizabeth. Did she want to see for herself that her aunt was pregnant, or, more likely, did she need to tell someone she knew would believe her and help support her in all of this?

At the sound of Mary’s voice, the child Elizabeth is carrying leaps within her, and Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit. Then Mary gets what she possibly came for, the belief and confirmation that all that has happened to her is real.

“Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, ‘God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed. Why am I so honored that the mother of my Lord should visit me? When I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy. You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what He said.’” Luke 1:42-45 (NLT)

One thing Elizabeth said to her jumped out at me.

You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.” Luke 1:45 NLT

Mary believed that the Lord does what He says, but this verse doesn’t say “will” do, it says “would” do. It doesn’t mean that she believes that the Lord will do what the angel said at some point, she believed He would do it, that it is going to happen just as He said. 

Tomorrow we will unpack Mary’s beautiful response to Elizabeth.

Today’s truth is that blessings come to those who believe the Lord does what He says.

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Dec 10

30 Days in the Christmas Story: Day 16

by Debbie

Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you! ~ Luke 1:28 (NLT)

Mary was favored. Why? What was it about her that caught God’s attention? Why did He choose her to be the mother of His son? Did she do something special, or did He just pick her out of a group of girls her age who were descendants of David? I don’t think so.

Reading further, we can find many clues as to why God chose Mary.

The angel of the Lord visited her and told her she would conceive a son, name him Jesus, he would be great, would be called the Son of the Most High, be given the throne of David, and would reign over Israel forever. Mary’s response is important.

“Mary asked the angel, ‘How will this be, since I am a virgin?’” Luke 1:34 (NLT)

At first, this may seem that it’s the same kind of response Zechariah had, but what she really wants to know is how it will happen physically for her. She is a virgin. She was saying, “What will I have to do to conceive this baby?”

We know her response was different because Gabriel’s response was different.

“The angel replied, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God.’” Luke 1:35 (NLT)

“Mary responded, ‘I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.’” And then the angel left her. Luke 1:38 (NLT)

With all that this meant for her; she would be pregnant and not married, and her fiancé, Joseph, would know it wasn’t his. Would anyone believe her story? She could have been stoned for adultery, but she still said yes. Why? We will explore that tomorrow.

Today’s truth is Mary said yes to the Lord’s request even when the ramifications were formidable. She didn’t hesitate but took the position of being the Lord’s servant.

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