Daily Treasure
Daily Treasure is a 365 day devotional read and written by Sharon Betters and the occasional guest author. Every entry in this 365 devotional embraces the power of God’s Word to encourage, equip and energize the reader to walk by faith in the pathway God has marked out for them, no matter how difficult. Each devotional includes a treasure from God’s Word, life giving applications, guided prayers and a challenge to reflect God’s love in a way that helps turn hearts toward Jesus.
Daily Treasure
It's Christmas, How's Your Stress Level? - Follow the Star - Week 2 Day 2
Today’s Treasure
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”
Luke 1:26-34
It’s Christmas, How’s Your Stress Level?
Sharon W. Betters
Today’s Treasure
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”
Luke 1:26-34
Family problems? Join the Holy family.
Imagine your 15-year-old daughter (or daughter-in-law-to-be) standing at your bedroom door and stuttering, "Mom, I have something to tell you." Your heart skips a beat, and you hold your breath as she continues, “Now don't get upset, but I'm pregnant. Before you say anything, I still have my purity ring on, and no, Joseph didn't pressure me and I'm still a virgin and the baby's father is God.” She senses your disbelief and adds, “An angel told me.”
Remember Mary's response to the angel who “told her?” I have a feeling your stress level just went through the roof and you're trying not to scream Mary's same words, “And, uh, how can these things be?” We never hear about Mary's parents or her in-laws, but no doubt they felt extreme stress over this turn of events.
Decisions, Decisions!
Are you overwhelmed with all the decisions you need to make? Join Joseph’s party. His fiancé is pregnant. Let's imagine his thoughts after the shock of getting this news.
"This is not my baby! What options do I have? Stoning Mary, but no matter what she has done, that's a little extreme. I think I'll just quietly divorce her because I still love her and I don't want to hurt her..."
But Joseph, never fear, an angel will pay you a surprise visit and tell you to believe Mary's child is the Son of God and to stay the course and marry Mary.
Ah, wouldn’t you just love an angel to help out with all of your decisions?
But we still don’t know what happened to the in-laws.
Too Many Bills, Taxes, and a Trip to Underwrite?
Joseph was a carpenter with a new wife and a baby on the way. Increased taxes require him to go to Bethlehem to pay them. Along with all the other stresses, he has to pay for the trip. We think our taxes are bad, but we don’t know much about the taxes of that era. But this new husband saddles up his very pregnant wife on a donkey and makes the trek to Bethlehem to register and pay their taxes.
If it Can Go Wrong, It Will!
Mary was very, very pregnant. When I was nine months pregnant, my doctor wouldn't let me travel by car from Philadelphia to Delaware to celebrate Christmas with family. Imagine her face if I asked if I could go by donkey! Mary and Joseph arrive in Bethlehem exhausted, far from home, knowing the baby will soon be born. In that Middle Eastern culture, you would think the extended family in Joseph's hometown of Bethlehem would have opened their homes to this weary couple. But, talk about family conflict, no room for you, Joseph! I imagine the candles going out and the curtains being drawn as Joseph and his "hussy wife" passed by. Every motel had a No Vacancy sign. As if things couldn’t get worse, Mary goes into labor. Yeah, that stress level must have been rising just a little bit!
Do you think Joseph was starting to wonder if he heard that angel right? Do you think he might have been starting to question God’s plans for his life? Maybe not? Maybe his faith was so supernatural that every time he was tempted to worry, he remembered the words of the angel. These circumstances gave him two options: Throw up his hands in despair and conclude he could not trust God or see them as a surefire way for him to practice patience and trust. And, sure enough, God provides a stable for the birth of the King of kings.
LIFE-GIVING ENCOURAGEMENT
How is your stress level as you prepare for Christmas? Make a list in your journal of all the stressors in your life. Which ones can you delegate to others? Someone told me to delegate tasks to people who can do them at least 80% as well as I can. Does your list include making memories? Look for ways to turn some of your tasks into making memories opportunities, for example, shopping with a friend, sharing a bench and bag lunch with a walking buddy, and baking cookies or bread with a child to share with neighbors or special friends. Our grandchildren remind me of memory making activities that slipped my mind long ago. They may not remember the gifts from last year, but they remember walking around the neighborhood and looking at the Christmas lights on a cold December night.
Look at your calendar now and be intentional about such memory making moments.
PRAYER
Oh Father, remind us in all of our business to take time to soak up the joy of Jesus, to remember making memories is more important than stuff, and investing in relationships can open doors to share the love of Jesus with a neighbor, a child, a coworker, a spouse, a friend.
