Small Beginnings -- Daily Devotional, December 21, 2009

Daily Bible Reading: Job 28, Zechariah 4-5, Revelation 1-2

A ten-year old girl went with a group of family and friends to see the Christmas light displays at various locations throughout the city. At one church, they stopped and got out to look more closely at a beautifully done nativity scene. "Isn't that beautiful?" said the little girl's grandmother. "Look at all the animals, Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus." "Yes, Grandma," replied the granddaughter. "It is really nice. But there is only one thing that bothers me. Isn't baby Jesus ever going to grow up... he's the same size he was last year!"

I have been looking forward to Christmas this year more than most. We have nothing special planned, but it is the first year in a while where it will just be our family. Although we love spending the holidays with Aunts, Uncles, Grandparents and friends, sometimes it is just nice to stay at home in your PJ’s and make some of your own traditions and memories. The best part of it just being our own little family this year, is that we can focus on what Christmas means to us. Although gift giving and turkey feasts are wonderful–those things are certainly not the reason for the season. Christmas has become so grandiose, that we are looking forward to focusing on the very small thing that started it all. A little tiny baby born in a very humble manger. We are going to gather around and read that Christmas story and maybe even make my husband play baby Jesus just for the fun of it (shhh...don’t tell).

When Christ was born there wasn’t any Christmas lights, consumerism, Black Friday fiasco’s or huge Turkey Dinner. Aside from the Angels in heaven celebrating his birth, it was just a tiny baby laying in a manger. He would save the world someday. One day would be about something grandiose, but this day was about something tiny.

In Zecheriah chapter 4, many of the older Jews became disheartened that the new temple would not match the size and splendor of the one that was built in King Soloman’s reign. God’s response to this was: (4:10) “Do not despise the day of small beginnings.”

There may be something big that you want to see happen in your life and the time will come for that, but don’t despise the small thing that God is doing today–that small thing will keep growing and will fulfill the purpose that God has intended for it! You blessing is not like the baby Jesus from the manger scene - it will not be the same size next year! If it is of God it will thrive, grow, and flourish!

I look forward to reading that Christmas story and thanking God for that tiny little gift he gave. It was that day of small beginnings that brought the biggest gift of all, the salvation of our souls!

Thanks for reading, Mel

Tomorrow’s reading: Job 29-30, Zech 6-7, Revelation 3-4