Some Mary Christmas Devotional Thoughts for 2015

by Cherie Dyson Nutt for her facebook friends

Cherie is the wife of Pastor Gary Nutt of Lake Erie Baptist Church of Brocton NY

19 December
..."Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a Son,
and shall call His name Immanuel". (Isaiah 7:14).
Mary, a young lady in Nazareth, and member of King David's family, loved the Lord. She trusted
God to give the Messiah to save His people from sin. Mary, however, wasn't famous then. She
just lived in her parents' home and hoped to marry Joseph, a local carpenter. She was not rich or
powerful, just faithful to God. When an angel appeared suddenly to her to tell her that she
would be the mother of the Savior of the world, she could hardly believe it! Her reaction could
have been something like, "Who me?" or "Why me?" She was thrilled and awestruck; but what
qualified her to be chosen? She was in the right family at the right time, and she was faithfully
living for God. Mary could have chosen to go her own way and not obey the Lord in her daily
life; but she chose the right things and God chose her to be Jesus' mother.
If you say no to the temptations of the world, and follow the Lord, there is no limit to what He
will do with your life. We are what we choose. We can live for the world and its allurements or
we can choose to trust the God who faithfully keeps all of His promises. If we give our hearts to
the Lord Jesus Christ, we will have joy and opportunity beyond what we can imagine!
21 December
I am still considering Mary this Christmas time, and what may have been some reasons that God
chose her to be the mother of the Messiah. Of course, God's purposes are eternal and we
probably won't know all of His eternal purpose this side of heaven, but we can know some
important things that help us in our Christian lives. Mary was born in the right family at the
right time in the right nation, but there were personal attributes as well that she possessed. Mary
had faith in God and awaited the coming Messiah; she obeyed God even when she didn't fully
understand; lastly, Mary's habit seems to have been to praise God for all His benefits. The Bible
says that Mary was "highly favored." That is the same phrase in the original language as Mary
"found grace" in the eyes of he Lord - the same was said of Noah. God gave her grace to have
faith, to obey Him and to praise Him. She obeyed even though it would be difficult. She obeyed
God's word given by the angel Gabriel. She was afraid when she saw him. Seeing an angel is a
serious moment, and what Gabriel said to her was serious. God would place that "Holy One" in
her womb, but would people believe her? Mary surrendered to God's will knowing that God
would take care of the situation. We may not always understand God's will; but we can trust
Him that, if we obey, He will take care of the details. Obedience to God and His Word is always
the happiest way to live!
"And Mary said, "Behold the handmaiden of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word."
And the angel departed from her." Luke 1:38

23 December
"Blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her
from the Lord." Luke 1:45. "A performance of those things which were told her from the Lord"
simply means that GOD WILL DO WHAT HE SAID HE WOULD DO! Mary had a simple,
childlike faith that her God would keep His promise! Last time I wrote, I thought about Mary's
obedience; and today I am considering her faith in God. I guess this should have actually been
first. Mary had only one question for the angel Gabriel - not a question which showed unbelief,
but a question of method. How would God work this miracle? "How Shall this be...?" is what she
said, and the angel explained it to her. She then just rested in God. All through the Bible, God
used men, women, and children because of their faith, not because of their importance, fame, or
anything else. He wants us to use our talents for Him, but that which makes us usable is our
faith. After all, it is His work that is being done by Christians; and "Faithful is He that calleth
you, who also will do it." (I Thessalonians 5:24).
Early Christmas Day
" And Mary said, 'My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my
Savior.'" Luke 1:46-47. Mary's soul was full of praise. She rejoiced in God HER SAVIOR! She
understood that she needed the Savior, and that God Himself was coming to be that Savior. Her
reward for obedience and faith was joy and rejoicing; but rejoicing and praising God is also part
of worship and something that we are actually commanded to do. I have to think that Mary's
desire to praise and worship God her Savior is another reason that He chose her to be the mother
of the Savior of the world.
We will never have the same ministry in this life as Mary had, but if we obey, trust, and worship
God with our praise, He will give us wonderful things to do for Him here and wonderful rewards
in heaven.
Merry Christmas to all my FB friends. I have a concluding thought for the day tomorrow but
who knows how the day will go! I am so thankful for God's unspeakable gift- the Lord Jesus
Christ.
Late dec 25
Christmas is nearly over and I just wanted to conclude my thoughts on Mary and the grace that
God gave her. By faith Mary trusted God to keep His promise; and so she obeyed Him even in
the face of trouble. Then she praised Him, quoting scripture that she knew through study of
God's Word. Mary needed a Savior just as we do, and God, through His grace, has sent Him.
What we have because of God's great love is a Gift so wonderful, awesome,amazing, and
exceedingly marvelous that no words can really express it! I John 4:9 says, "In this was
manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the
world, that we might live through Him." Jesus Christ is that perfect gift who overcame death and
sin for us. "It's Jesus birthday, but we got the gift." If you've never accepted God's gift, it's my
prayer that you will today. Please come to Jesus for forgiveness and eternal life. Then you can
say with Mary, "My spirit rejoiced in God my Savior". (Luke 1:47). MERRY CHRISTMAS FB
friends!