Luke 1:38 | And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Mary makes it seem so easy. The angel Gabriel tells her that she’ll give birth to the Son of God, and she responds with immediate surrender to her role in God’s plan. What was Mary thinking? She had no assurance of a comfortable outcome. A virgin engaged to be married, she likely knew how difficult giving birth to and raising Jesus would be. The only assurance Mary received was God’s Word, and it was enough for her to say “yes.”

In 1 Peter 1, the apostle Peter says that through the trials we face, the genuineness of our faith is revealed. God frequently asks for our trust through difficult, uncomfortable, and seemingly impossible circumstances. But how often do we respond like Mary? It can be easy to let our questioning of God get in the way of what He desires to do in and through us. We may want to be refined, but are we willing to say “yes” to God and walk through the fire?

Mary couldn’t possibly understand all that was on the other side of her response to God, but she trusted Him. As a result, God brought Jesus to the world through Mary, offering us forgiveness for our sins and mending the brokenness in our relationship with God.

During this Christmas season, reflect on Mary’s response to God’s plan for the birth of Jesus. What challenging task has God placed on your heart? Whether it’s mending a broken relationship or stepping out in faith to walk in the purpose He’s given you, take heart in knowing that on the other side of your “yes” to God is an outcome greater than you can imagine.

Prayer: Father, I trust that Your will is perfect. I pray You will place Your desires on my heart, aligning my dreams with Yours. Thank You for the example You’ve given me in Mary. Please give me the wisdom, courage, and faith I need to say “yes” to Your plan for my life.

Devotional from YouVersion Bible App. Contact Pastor Rod Lindemann at RodL@TimothyLutheran.com on how to use the Bible App for additional readings and topics. We would like to thank the author(s) for providing this plan and they retain all rights.

Luke 1:26-33 | 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.”

It was finally time for the first promise of God to be fulfilled. Sin would soon be forever defeated, but first, the Savior had to be placed in His mother’s womb. Can you imagine how excited God must have been as He sent an angel from heaven to reveal His plan to Mary? This was a moment thousands of years in the making!

Think about Mary: young and humble but favored by God. When He sent the angel to her side, He sent him with words of love. He let her know she was chosen and had no reason to fear. Before she had time to doubt or let insecurity creep in, God gave Mary the confidence she needed to walk out His purpose for her life.

As Christmas approaches, put yourself in Mary’s shoes and reflect on this moment. Think about how incredible, maybe even overwhelming, it was for her to discover the extent of her God-given purpose. It’s important to realize that just as He had divine purpose for Mary, God has divine purpose for you. Just as He chose her and entrusted her with great plans, He has also chosen you and entrusted something miraculous to you! Ask God to reveal what He created you to do, and be confident that He’ll equip you to do it.

Prayer: Father, thank You for the gift of Jesus. Thank You for choosing a woman like Mary to bring Him into the world. You used her as a vessel for Your greatest miracle. Thank You for also giving me a divine purpose. Help me to be still, to seek You, and to know You more during this season. Use this time to reveal more about Your purpose for me as I focus on the purpose of Christmas.

Devotional from YouVersion Bible App. Contact Pastor Rod Lindemann at RodL@TimothyLutheran.com on how to use the Bible App for additional readings and topics. We would like to thank the author(s) for providing this plan and they retain all rights.

Isaiah 9:6 | For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Through the prophet Isaiah, God revealed that a child would be born who would be called the Prince of Peace. In Hebrew, the word for “Prince” (“sar”) indicates a leader or captain, and the word for “peace” (“shalom”) means “completeness.” When Jesus came to earth, He came to lead a broken world to a place where we could be made whole again. He came to reconcile us with God, bridging the gap created by our sin. Jesus came to soothe our anxieties and give us a sound mind. The peace He brought into the world at Christmas allows us to be content and rest in Him no matter what chaos surrounds us.

Whatever you might be facing in this season—sickness, a broken relationship, depression, or loneliness—allow Jesus’ peace to comfort you right where you are. You don’t have to get to the end of your struggle to experience wholeness. Jesus wants to quiet your spirit with His love and perfect your trust in Him. You can weather this storm complete in Him.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for coming to bring me peace. I recognize today that I can rest in You, no matter what I’m going through. Whenever fear or heaviness threaten my peace, help me run to safety in You. Lead my spirit into the wholeness that is available in You.

Devotional from YouVersion Bible App. Contact Pastor Rod Lindemann at RodL@TimothyLutheran.com on how to use the Bible App for additional readings and topics. We would like to thank the author(s) for providing this plan and they retain all rights.

2 Corinthians 5:21 | For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

In a prophecy found in Zechariah 9, God promised that the future King would come with salvation and bring His righteousness. This means that on Christmas, God brought us “His righteousness” to earth in the person of Jesus Christ. This is exactly what the world needed (and still needs). In Romans 3:10, the apostle Paul describes the sad condition of humanity: “None is righteous, no, not one.” We are all in the same situation, born with a sin nature and unable to make ourselves righteous. But in Romans 1:17, Paul says, ”The righteous shall live by faith.” Christianity is not about earning righteousness, it’s about receiving the righteousness of Jesus “by faith.” It’s not about who we are, it’s about who He is.

After Jesus was born, He continued to live in righteousness His entire life. He was perfect, staying close to God and following His Father’s plan without hesitation. On the cross, He made a transfer. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” When Jesus died for us, He took on all of our unrighteousness and put it to death, giving His righteousness and intimacy with God to us.

Remember, God’s love for us is not based on anything we do or do not do. It’s based only on what Jesus has already done. Romans 5:8 says, ”God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” The Righteous One was born on Christmas to show us God’s love in the most powerful way possible, by making us righteous in His sight.

Prayer: Father, You are full of amazing grace! I receive Your righteousness today by faith in Your Son, Jesus. I realize that You are pleased with me only because of what Jesus has done for me. Thank You, Jesus, for covering me. Strengthen me with the confidence that I am secure in Your Righteousness. Help me remember I haven’t earned it myself so I can serve You with humility and gratitude all my life.

Devotional from YouVersion Bible App. Contact Pastor Rod Lindemann at RodL@TimothyLutheran.com on how to use the Bible App for additional readings and topics. We would like to thank the author(s) for providing this plan and they retain all rights.

Genesis 17:19 | God said, “No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him.

You’ve probably heard the proverb, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick.” But did you know Jesus was born because God redeemed a long-deferred hope? In Genesis, we read that Abraham and his wife Sarah longed for a child for decades, but Sarah was unable to conceive. When Sarah was 90 years old, God appeared to Abraham and promised that Sarah would give birth to a son, and that through this child, He would establish an everlasting covenant between Him and Abraham’s descendants. Sarah actually laughed when God said this, because she thought, “How could a worn-out woman like me enjoy such pleasure?” Yet Sarah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. Abraham named him “Isaac,” which means “laughter,” because God brought Sarah great joy and redemption through what appeared to be an impossible situation.

Isaac’s son was Jacob, and Jacob had 12 sons, one of whom was Judah. Out of the tribe of Judah came King David, and because Jesus’ mother Mary was a descendent of David (as was His earthly father Joseph), the Savior became the fruit of God’s promise to Abraham and Sarah. As God healed Sarah’s body and fulfilled the desire of her heart, He planted a seed that would ultimately reconcile mankind to Himself, establishing a covenant that would last forever. Sarah’s ability to give birth in her old age gives us another reason to be in awe of the miraculous story of Jesus’ birth.

If you are facing deferred hope today, rest assured that God has redemption for this season and will bring about a greater return than you can imagine. Though you can’t see the purpose in it now, one day, you will. Hold on to God’s promises! Like Sarah, you will experience that, “A longing fulfilled is a tree of life.”

Prayer: Father, thank You for being a God of Your Word. Just like You fulfilled Your promise to Sarah, I trust that You will fulfill Your promises to me. Thank You in advance for using the difficult seasons of my life for a greater purpose. I am honored to be a part of the work that brings You glory.

Devotional from YouVersion Bible App. Contact Pastor Rod Lindemann at RodL@TimothyLutheran.com on how to use the Bible App for additional readings and topics. We would like to thank the author(s) for providing this plan and they retain all rights.