A Humble Beginning
Generations of anticipation. Prophets foretold it and the people hoped for it. There, in a simple town, it happened. The Son of God took on the vulnerability, frailty, and weakness of man by beginning His life as we all do—as a baby. Holiness and power were made present in humanity. And to Mary, He was born.
Do you think anyone imagined, after all the prophecies of Jesus’ coming, that He would begin His life on earth as a baby? That He would grow from an infant to a child to a teenager to an adult, the same way that man has since the offspring of Adam and Eve? Even during His ministry, people loved to view Jesus as a conqueror—a man of power that was going to topple the Roman government and establish Himself as their king. They wanted Jesus to show His power in a way that gave them power, too.
And yet Jesus was humble to His core.
He willingly began His time on earth completely powerless, born to His mother Mary into a simple life.
Jesus went from being one with the Father in Heaven, powerful and supreme, to willingly taking on a human beginning, being born as an infant inherently dependent on others. Such humility marked of His life and ministry. He did not come to topple governments but, by His loving sacrifice, topple sin by taking on a human life and then giving it up of His own accord.
The Son of God. Mary’s son. God’s perfect plan made manifest at last.
Humility. It marked Him from the beginning.
“And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death: but ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free. And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother; making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.”
Mark 7:9-13 KJV
https://bible.com/bible/1/mrk.7.9-13.KJV
“A fool's mouth is his destruction, And his lips are the snare of his soul. The words of a talebearer are as wounds, And they go down into the innermost parts of the belly. He also that is slothful in his work Is brother to him that is a great waster. The name of the LORD is a strong tower: The righteous runneth into it, and is safe. The rich man's wealth is his strong city, And as an high wall in his own conceit. Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, And before honour is humility.”
Proverbs 18:7-12 KJV
https://bible.com/bible/1/pro.18.7-12.KJV
A Shelter from the Storm
If you’ve ever experienced a strong storm or natural disaster, you know the importance of a safety shelter to protect you. Whenever there is a threat, we need something stronger than that threat to shield us.
This is also true in our daily lives. We are susceptible to attacks from our spiritual enemy and from other dangers in life. Sometimes we need to be rescued from our thoughts and habits. Other times we need someone to help us heal from something that we can’t handle by ourselves.
Scripture refers to God as our refuge and shelter. As children of God, we can rest in His strength and power, knowing that He is able to keep us safe from any situation we may experience.
Because God created us, He truly knows what’s best for us. He knows how to protect our souls and keep us from danger.
However, this requires that we go to Him when we need help. We cannot rest in His presence if we do not spend time in His presence. He is a refuge to those who actively trust Him ...