God’s Love within the Christmas Story

The Christmas story is full of examples of God’s provision.

Angels are messengers from God. They are just one way that He chooses to communicate with us. They must be rather frightening when they appear because all three times that they appear in the Christmas story, first to Zechariah, Luke 1:13, then to Mary, Luke 1:30 and finally to the shepherds, Luke 2:10, the first thing he says is, “Do not be afraid.”

The God we worship, not only wanted to communicate with these people, He wanted them to be at peace. He knew that they would be afraid and He wanted to reassure them. His message was a message of His love for them and soon all mankind would have the gift of perfect peace.

I find it quite comforting that our God wants us to be at peace. He’s not like the Great and Powerful Oz, screaming behind a curtain. Nope, He wants us to follow Him and love Him without fear.

The next part of the angelic message from the Christmas story that really touches my heart is the fact that God had Gabriel to tell Mary that her cousin Elizabeth was also pregnant with a miraculous child. God wanted Mary to know that she was not alone. There was another woman who was close to her who would understand her unique situation.

They didn’t have telephones or internet, so God sent an angel. He didn’t leave Mary scared and alone. He told her about someone who would not question or condemn her, but would accept her and celebrate with her. When Mary went to visit Elizabeth, and Elizabeth heard Mary’s voice, “the baby leapt within her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.”

What comfort, the older woman must have been for young Mary. I am so amazed at the way God provided for these women to have each other. But, I can think of many times in my own life where God provided just the right person to understand whatever situation I was facing as well.

Relationship is very important to God. He wants a relationship with us and He wants us to have meaningful relationships with each other. Friendship is such a beautiful gift. Friends that understand and hold our hands through tough times and joyful times are a special gift from God.

I love the example of this with Elizabeth and Mary. Mary stayed with Elizabeth for three months. I’m sure they gave each other a lot of strength and encouragement. I would love to know what these women talked about, and they were uninterrupted because Zechariah was silent until John’s birth, thanks to Gabriel.

The entire Christmas story is about God’s provision. Don’t miss the details, for they are exquisite. Let’s not miss the beautiful details of provision in our own story either. The season can be full of distractions, but let’s be alert to God at work in our lives.

Let’s take Gabriel’s advice and not be afraid and go forth in peace, knowing we are loved beyond our wildest imagination.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂