Luke 2:
‘Joseph went with Mary, his fiance’, who was pregnant (to Bethlehem) . While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. She gave birth to a Son, her firstborn. She wrapped Him in a blanket and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room in the hostel.’
Ever thought: ‘What next’? … ‘Why is everything so hard’? … ‘Why can’t something be normal, straightforward, easy?’ If anyone could legitimately think like this I reckon Mary could.
The phenomenal announcement of her pregnancy … the absolute shock to her system. People questioning … possibly talking behind her back about the nature of her pregnancy, even Joseph not sure but because he was a good man he was prepared to do the right thing by her. Maybe there were times when Mary was wracked with fear, wondering what on earth she had said ‘Yes’ to. And now this long, long hard journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem for Mary when she was so heavily pregnant. Why was life so hard? Why does it seem that things seem to be getting harder, not easier. Surely God could have made a difference.
… And then, were things going from bad to worse?
‘She gave birth to a Son, her firstborn. She wrapped Him in a blanket and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.’
Surely it wasn’t meant to be this bad, this hard, was she asking herself? What have I done to make things so bad? What could, should I have done differently? I guess Mary was exhausted, emotional and now, laying Jesus down in the dirty, smelly manger. Possibly the last thing on earth she would have wanted for her firstborn child – Why?
Mary, this very young girl. How much more could she take? How much more would she have to take? How could she carry on and not buckle under with the stress and strain? I reckon she like us at such difficult times found God to be her confidence and strength.
‘When we have exhausted our store of endurance
When our strength has failed ‘ere the day is half done.
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources
Our Father’s full giving is only begun.’
She, no doubt like us discovered and continue to discover over and over again … BUT GOD makes all the difference. Thank you, Jesus!
Major Glad Ljungholm
Liverpool DHQ
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