Life can sure take us by surprise. Situations and circumstances can change so very quickly.
Sometimes, things just happen—things that even a lifetime wouldn’t be long enough to understand.
And sometimes, things just don’t happen—the things you were so sure would come to pass.
A day comes that brings about a sudden change in the course of your life. That news. That abrupt turn of events.
This wasn’t the life you expected—and you aren’t the person you expected to become.
You’re on a new road—with twists and turns, ditches and obstacles—with an uncertain future. And the scenery isn’t even very pretty.
It makes you feel lost, and out of control. And it makes you wonder.
“Is God really with me, here?”
There is a Bible story we all know. It is nothing short of amazing and miraculous, about the amazing and miraculous lives of amazing and miraculous people.
People just like you.
That’s right. Amazing and miraculous. Just like you.
We call it, “The Christmas Story.” And as I take off the twinkly lights and tinsel, I hope to reveal the raw and real lives underneath. Real lives, with real hearts. People being challenged and changed, feeling lost and out of control. People waiting, people wondering—people with lives never to be the same.
People just like you.
The apostle Luke so aptly describes, in great detail, the events that would change the course of history—and set the whole world upon a new path. God’s path.
“There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.
And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.
But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.”
(Luke 1:5-7,13)
Zacharias and Elizabeth. A lovely, older couple, living in the hill country of Judea. They had been married for many years, but they had no children.
Luke says they were the righteous servants of God, living by God’s commandments, and blameless.
And there was more. Zacharias was a priest from a long lineage of priests, specifically Abia. And Elizabeth was of the daughters of Aaron, the original priesthood of the law, given by God to Moses.
With that kind of life and lineage, it sounds like they should have been really blessed, right?
But in that time and culture, many must have questioned just how blessed Zacharias and Elizabeth were—because they were “barren.” No doubt, this couple must have struggled with their own unanswered questions.
They couldn’t have dreamed of how their path would soon change, as the angel Gabriel came to deliver God’s own birth announcement: “Your wife Elizabeth is going to have a son, and you are going to name him John.”
Sure enough, Elizabeth, who was long past her child-bearing years, conceived their baby. Then she hid herself away for five months. I wonder if those five months were the latter part of her pregnancy, and she just didn’t want to deal with the inevitable gasps and stares from her neighbors.
Of course, the news that she would become pregnant was taken with great joy, as their lives suddenly took on a whole new meaning. And yet, how stressful it must have been. Their new, beautiful road was not without trouble.
The Bible goes on to say that Zacharias had expressed doubt about this good news from the angel Gabriel. Proving that words do matter to God, He took away Zacharias’ ability to speak, and he literally had no voice for nine months, until John was finally born.
It was unsettling, as God’s roads can be. But He is in control of every hairpin turn, if we place our trust in Him.
“And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.
And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:”
(Luke 1:26-27,30-32)
That Gabriel. He can sure get the word out.
But poor Mary. What a tsunami of information she’d just been told. Right from the throne room of heaven.
Picture the newly engaged couple, Mary and Joseph. Young, excited, and ready to begin their new life together as one, joined in marriage.
No doubt, they had many dreams of their life together—where they would live, and what they might share together—how they would raise a family, and experience their planned road of life.
What neither of them could imagine was that they would hold God’s own Son in their arms, and raise Him as their own. Things like this can’t be imagined. They are not even dared to be dreamed.
I can imagine that Mary felt thrilled and honored beyond comprehension at this news. But she was also terrified.
How would she explain this to everyone, especially Joseph? Without faith to believe, it would simply appear to outsiders as an illegitimate pregnancy. Mary faced the real possibility of rejection, scorn and shame—maybe even legal punishment.
And so, how would Mary handle this announcement—this sudden, life changing news?
None of us can really be sure of how we would react to news of a radically changing path. We would all like to believe that we would be full of faith. Full of hope. But what we’re most likely to be full of are questions and concerns.
Mary had heard God’s words with her ears. But it was her heart that would have to make the choice—not to react with fear and doubt, but to respond—as a servant of God. To trust Him, and to believe.
Undoubtedly, Mary’s humble response pleased the Lord:
“And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.”
(Luke 1:38)
Mary quickly understood and trusted that God would be in complete control of every step she took. But what about her fiance, Joseph?
“Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.
But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:”
(Matthew 1:18-20, 24)
Joseph! Joseph! What on earth was happening to your life?
Joseph obviously loved his wife to be, just like any good man. Imagine his shock and broken heart, as he realized that Mary was pregnant. And he wasn’t this baby’s daddy.
Poor Joe just didn’t have a clue. But who would?
Now, Mary had probably done her very best to sit him down and explain all that the angel had told her. But apparently, that conversation had not gone well.
Those burning questions must have flooded in. “How could she have done this to us? And who is this other dude anyway? And how could God let this happen?”
Imagine Joseph’s heart of anguish, as he grappled with feelings of betrayal. This had to be the lowest point of his life—being crushed, but without any believable explanation as to why.
There, within his troubled mind of pain and confusion, Joseph made his plans. He wanted to believe her, he really did—but his crushed ego and broken heart were getting in the way. He planned to break off the engagement with Mary, and hide her away somewhere.
It was the best he could do. But God had other plans.
The angel of the Lord came to Joseph in a dream, and told him plainly all the truth of the matter—the baby was conceived by the Holy Spirit. The angel did not explain the entire plan at that time, or justify God’s actions.
God often does not give us the reason up front, as to why our road has changed direction. And—in fear, doubt or shame—we may try to “hide it all away” somewhere. But God’s not hiding us away. He’s actually revealing His glorious plans to the world.
Those plans can often appear strange, and even wrong at first. But God is God—He sees, and He knows.
And He travels the unexpected road with us, every step of the way—leading, guiding, helping and encouraging.
For Mary and Joseph, this life altering news was way more than just a bend in the road, or some small obstacle. This one went over a cliff! It would be impossible for them to traverse this alone.
And Mary received confirmation that yes—God was with her, every step of the way—as she visited her unexpectedly pregnant cousin, Elizabeth:
“And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda; And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth.
And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:”
(Luke 1:39-41)
In a wonderful and miraculous chain of events, the word of the Lord was being revealed. It was evident that God’s purposes were coming to pass, in the lives of those it had been spoken into.
“Now Elisabeth’s full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son.
And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father. And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John.
And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called. And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled all. And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God.”
(Luke 1:57,59-60,62-64)
And why should you think that you’re any different?
I know what you’re thinking. “But these people are in the Bible, for crying out loud. Their lives were way more important than mine will ever be.”
Yes, they are in the Bible. And yes, what was happening—the entrance of Christ Jesus into this world—was the most monumental thing to ever occur in history. It was their time and their place, to receive and participate in these majestic purposes of God.
But these people were people, just like you and me. Full of their own hopes and dreams for life—fears and failures, too.
But God, in His infinite wisdom, isn’t so concerned with your hopes and dreams. Or even your fears and failures. For He has destined you—everything that you are, and long before you even existed—to fulfill His plans and purposes.
So should you really be surprised, when He changes the course of your road to do it?
“And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.”
(Luke 2:1,3-6)
It was tax time in Judea, and everyone had to go and pay up. Leave it to the government to make things difficult!
Picture poor Joseph there, traveling along some long, dusty, winding road with little Mary, “being great with child”. She was so pregnant she could pop—and most likely had to ride on a donkey’s back.
But at least all would be well, when they finally got checked into their comfortable suite at the Holiday Inn, right? But our Bible tells us they didn’t get that nice room. Or any room.
Apparently, right from the first, there just wasn’t a lot of room for Christ, in the Christmas story.
Our little family had to bed down in some type of barn, or even a cave, with the livestock. The baby Jesus—God incarnate—was probably born on a pile of hay. I imagine that Mary and Joseph wondered, during all of this, “What in the world is God thinking?”
We might sometimes wonder the same things. “How could a loving God be doing this to me? Is this really the best plan that He could come up with?”
“I could have thought of a lot better ways to serve Him, than this tough situation I’m facing.” “Why am I going through this?”
But God’s word is true.
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
(Romans 8:28)
No matter how unsure your road might become, you can be sure that God always has “good” in mind for you. His very best. But in those very difficult, unexplainable moments of life, His “best” may not look like your “best” at all—or even your “good.”
In times like those, you have got to remember that—like Mary and Joseph—you are actually only part of the story. Lots of people, situations and things, that may seem quite unrelated at first, are interacting simultaneously—all in a miraculous chain of events, bringing God’s purposes to pass in your life.
The story is much bigger than you are, and God sees the whole picture. Actually, He is the whole picture.
“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”
(Luke 2:8-14)
Just try to imagine the electric light show that night, in those fields outside of Bethlehem. A “host” (thousands?) of angels, proclaiming the glories of Almighty God!
Honestly, I think I might have peed my pants right then and there! Don’t laugh—you may have done the same.
Somehow, those shepherd boys held it together enough to walk into town. They just had to find out if what the angel had said was true. Was their Messiah really there, born as a baby, and lying in some lowly manger somewhere?
Of course, it was all true. And if they had any doubts along their way, they soon doubted no more. For there He was—Christ, the newborn King. And everyone could feel that moment— was holy, as they humbly knelt in the presence of their Lord and King.
That’s all they knew, for the moment. And for the moment, it was enough.
It can be that way for you, as God lets you in on just a part of His plan. It’s always a holy moment. But you still don’t fully understand. Some aspects of it may be wonderful—and some of it may be disturbing.
But that’s okay. God’s got it all figured out. And if you can trust Him, that will be enough.
“And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord;
And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him.
Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said,
Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word:
For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,”
(Luke 2:21-22,25,28-30)
When God further reveals His purposes in your life, He will surely involve others, in some important way.
Simeon had been promised by the Holy Spirit that he would not die, until he would see the promised Savior. What an amazing further confirmation to Mary and Joseph, that God was in control of their lives!
And it wouldn’t have mattered, if they were still a little scared, or bothered. Or if they still didn’t fully understand their own separate roles. Or if they struggled with what the future might hold for them.
All that really mattered was their continued obedience to hear from God, and to faithfully respond.
Are you struggling with the uncertainties of your road?
You may be struggling so much, that you might wonder about your walk—that you’re even in God’s will.
The questions come. “Lord, have I done something wrong? Are you mad at me for something? Can I fix it?”
But no matter how you feel, God expects your walk to remain the same, as it was before—with one trusting footstep ahead of the other. One small step—one prayer, one decision, one action—one placement of your faith at a time.
With every moment of struggle, you have a decision. To react—become fearful or upset about your present situation—or to respond. To respond to God—believing that He is on the throne of your life, no matter what you might feel, see or hear.
“Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.”
(Matthew 2:1-3, 9-10)
Don’t you just love the wise men? They’re so wise—and so adventurous. Imagine them shouting and jumping for joy, when they saw that star, in the cool and stillness of that desert night.
It was joyous news—this newborn King. But an earthly King, Herod, wasn’t so happy.
Satan—working through the lives of the unbelieving world—is always plotting something against the plans of God. And in this modern, corrupted world, hidden agendas seem to be everywhere.
But God calmly takes it all in, from His high and Holy vantage point. Because what He has purposed to do will be done. Nothing and no one can stop God from carrying out His most perfect plans. And He involves people—you and me—to accomplish them.
You may not always know what the situations of your life really mean. You may often be confused by the events that change the course of your life. They can even alter the way you think, and what you thought you understood about God.
But you need to realize that your own understanding is not enough.
“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
(Proverbs 3:5-6)
What we often call “the Christmas story,” soon turned into what many would term, “the greatest story ever told.”
The pages turned—John the Baptist, Christ’s own earthly ministry, the acts of His apostles, and so many more events and individuals too numerous to mention here.
Each and every one—living and learning, through the process of their own set of circumstances—all a part of God’s greater plans. Each and every one traveling their road in life, to be led through the twists and turns of God’s divine choosing.
Mary and Joseph lived out God’s purposes for themselves, one crucial day at a time. Life wasn’t easy for them. But they kept going.
And with every step that they took, in faith, they were being used by God—to accomplish His plans, which were long ago foretold to happen.
And so are you.
To you, your life may seem unimpressive, or uneventful. Or too problematic to accomplish much of anything. But think about who you may possibly be, in God’s grand scheme of things.
God has His plans. And they are really big ones. But really big plans, for really small people like us, can often cause some unimaginable, unexpected things to happen. Lives change. Roads turn. Questions go unanswered—at least for now.
Don’t let your questions overwhelm you.
Instead, make that decision. Respond to God. Choose to lose yourself—in His unchanging plans.
After all, you’ve allowed Christ Jesus to come and make his home in you. And when God comes into the house, nothing else is ever the same again.
The fact is that God has involved you in His plans. It is not what you expected. But it’s your road.
In our Christmas story, we’ve just looked into a window of time. And those in this story believed in the One—who calls all generations to come—and responded, in faith.
So here you are. Right here, right now. No less called. No less purposed. No less able to believe God.
And your Lord is waiting. He waits to hear those words of faith, spoken like music to His ears, “Yes, Lord.”
“Be it unto me, according to your word.”
Will you say them?