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.
The Shepherd’s Promise
Psalm 23 is a poem about God as our Shepherd. It’s all about how God knows what's best for us. He knows who we are and the paths we should walk in life. Because He is our Shepherd, He also is our Protector—guarding us from evil.
At the end of Psalm 23, there is a promise for us...
"Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."
Psalms 23:6 NIV
What does it mean that God’s goodness and love will follow us?
It doesn’t mean that life will go according to our plans. It also doesn’t mean life will be free of pain and problems. Psalm 23:4 tells us that we will still have to walk through dark valleys.
Here’s what it does mean: God will always be with us. God will always be good to us. Life may not always be easy, but God promises to always be good.
It also means that nothing can take God’s love from us. God’s love will always be there, just like Paul says in Romans 8:38-39. We don’t have...