December 18, 2007

      This blog is written by Mark Littleton, a Christian author with many books in print. You can find most of his books at Amazon.com under his name.

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Picture Caption: Help, I’ve fallen into a wormhole and I don’t know where I’ll end up! And Christmas is coming, and I don’t want to miss it!  I know I’m getting some good stuff!

 The following is a series of poetic devotionals for your interest. They’re all about Christ and the Christmas story. 

1.

THE ANNUNCIATION

    Verse: In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."  Luke 1:26-28.       

   Reading: Luke 1:26-38

I am astonished. 

An angel barges into Mary's bed chamber

as she combs her hair? 

A message - to bear a son,

the Prince of God, the Messiah -

without marriage or father

or even a solid alibi? 

How to explain? 

Where to find the words,

to make someone somewhere understand -

it's not sin, it's not a lie,

it's not madness, it’s not even

a young woman’s dream gone totally nutso?

How to live with the ladies'

gossip, the young men's

snickers, the parents’ continual shakes of the head? 

And what to say

to Joseph, the apparent cuckold,

in all this incredible God-weirdness? 

Would he walk out? 

Would he accuse? 

Would he have her stoned?

Would he just shake his head, plow ahead

and hope the baby disappeared

from memory?

Emotions swell.  Fear blooms. 

But something within stirs.

Isn’t this what every Jewish girl ever

dreamed about – bearing the Messiah?

Isn’t this the hope of every young woman,

at least after marriage?

Mary must have pondered, wondered, worried.

But after a natural question – how can this happen,

since I’m not yet married –

she simply bows, says, “I’m here. Do with me

as you please!” 

Not a word of complaint.

Not an excuse. 

Not a single heated argument

into the twilight.   Not even a long lie

on her bed weeping about lost dreams.

How can this be?

I'm still astonished. 

O God, O God,

give me such faith,

and I’ll rattle the world, too,

just as Mary did

oh so long ago. 

Questions for thought:

1.     How do you think you might have responded had you been in Mary’s situation?

2.     What do you think might have been the hardest problem for Mary as she proceeded into pregnancy and birth?  How would you have gone about explaining it to Joseph, to your parents and friends, to the local rabbi?

3.     Do you think God chose Mary in the first place because of the faith she exhibited? Or was it something even greater? 

    Application: Can you begin praying for faith as great as Mary’s as you enter this period of your life? What is God right now asking you to do that you have resisted? 

    Prayer: Make me, oh Lord, after the questions are answered, after the plan is considered and prayed about, a person of such faith that I will do all you ask even if it costs me everything. 

2

BIRTH AT BETHLEHEM

    Verse: While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.  Luke 2:6-7.

    Reading: Luke 2:1-7

Strange:

from a dappled blue egg,

a fragile crack, a yellow beak,

and then the chirping hungry jaw

of a robin.

Even stranger:

upon the crisp straw, the wet,

struggling form of a filly

nuzzling the mare's warm nipple.

Stranger still: The jagged screech of a child,

tiny fingers grasping a breast,

large dark eyes meeting

a mother's misty browns

and locking on. 

Strangest of all:

from the untried womb of a virgin:

the iron thunder and bright lightning

of heaven: the brown body of God

trembling gently in a feed-trough,

naked, and at the mercy

of everything.

Strange?  No!

Wonderful!

Marvelous!

Astonishing!

Holy. 

Questions for thought:

1.     What miracles, besides Mary’s conception of Jesus, do you see active in this story?

2.     Why do you think God allowed Jesus to be born in a stable? How was a stable a unique and provident place for him to be born? 

3.     Why do you think the virgin birth was so crucial to Jesus’ success in his later ministry?

     Application: What can you do today that will show God your gratitude for a Savior who gave it all as Jesus did? 

    Prayer: May I never forget the greatness of your sacrifice, Jesus, my Lord, Friend, and God! 

Check Out:

Marklittleton.com

Winsunliterary.com(my literary agency)

HeartofAmericaChristianWriters.com(our writers' network)

Another blog: Politiciansunclothed.townhall.com

Latest books:

101 Amazing Truths About Jesus You Probably Didn't Know(Howard Books, 2007)

The Ten-Second Prayer Principle: Powerful Prayer As You Go(Howard Books, 2007)

What's In the Bible for Teens? (Bethany House, October 2007)

Books to come:

BIble Bathroom Book(Howard Books, April 2008)

The Big Bad God of the Bible(AMG, August, 2008)

The Real Life Kid's Devotional Bible For Boys(Zonderkidz, September, 2008) 

The Real Life Kid's Devotional Bible For Girls(Zonderkidz, September, 2008) 

The NIRV Kid's Devotional(Zonderkidz, October, 2008)

God bless.

Mark Littleton

mlittleton@earthlink.net