Lessons from the Christmas Manger

I am sure we all grew up singing “Away in a Manger” at Christmas without really thinking about the meaning or even what that truly must have been like. I think as adults, we try to picture it a little more in our minds, but I wonder what it was really like.

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Many years ago, I heard of a family who spent Christmas Eve in their barn, just to have a better understanding of what it was like for Mary, Joseph, and Jesus on the night of His birth. At one time my parents had an older barn, and many times throughout the year I would take in the smells, the feeling of the damp air, and the quiet rustling sounds, and wonder if those were the same things they experienced.

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When you think about the manger, you have to keep in mind that it was a feeding trough for animals. There wasn’t a baby shower with gifts. There were no soft blankets washed in Dreft for the ultimate softness, nor a baby bed. There definitely wasn’t sterilization! None of this would have been what we consider good enough for any of our children, yet these were the conditions for the Lord of All Creation!

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“But the angel said to them, ‘Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the City of David a Savior was born for you, Who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be the sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped tightly in cloth and lying in a manger.'” Luke 2:10-12

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Many times we have to make do with what we have. In this case, I am glad there “happened to be” a manger for them to use. It wasn’t the intent or purpose that it was created for (or was it?). However, it was available and served a purpose.

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The manger was open and received Christ!

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The manger embraced our Lord and Savior!

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The manger didn’t have to clean itself up to be used by Christ.

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“When the angels had left them and returned to Heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go straight to Bethlehem and see what has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” They hurried off and found both Mary and Joseph, and the Baby Who was lying in the manger.” Luke 2: 15-16  

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Here are a few lessons we can learn from the manger:

• We need to be open to the plan the Lord has for our lives. If we are available and let the Lord guide us, we can fulfill His great purposes which are so much better than our own plans.
• We need to be open to receiving Christ as our Lord and Savior.
• We should embrace Him everyday in everything we say and do. Embracing Him should be our lifestyle.
• We don’t have to clean ourselves up to come to Christ. He takes us as we are!

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Let’s keep these lessons from the manger in our hearts and minds not just at Christmas but all year long. We can share the message with others so they can experience Him as well.

AND…

If you happen to be around a barn, take a minute to capture the full atmosphere. Take it all in and imagine what it was really like.

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Nativity Sets

I have several Nativity sets, but for whatever reason I have not gotten all of them out over the last few years. I changed that this year. Each of them came from different people and places, and they are all special. The one pictured here was given to me from my grandmother on my mom’s side.

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If you don’t have a Nativity set, I encourage you to get one. They are such great reminders of the love Christ has for us. There are so many varieties on Amazon, but I found this one that I really like. It reminds me of the one my grandmother used to have when I was a kid. It also plays music!

Quotes of the Week

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Song

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“Away in the Manger” is an obvious song to go along with this post. Click here to listen to it.

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Reminder – 5 of the Easiest Candy Recipes You Will Ever Find

Remember to subscribe to get these recipes. Even if you subscribed earlier, it will still send you the email to get the downloads. I cannot tell you how quick and easy these candy recipes are, right in time for Christmas! These are the candies included:

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• Peanut Butter Fudge
• Creamy Chocolate Fudge
• Nut Clusters
• Reese’s Peanut Butter Bars
• Toffee (This is my new favorite!)

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If you missed the 1st devotionals in this series, you can see them here:

1 – Lessons from the Christmas Inn Keeper.

2 – Lessons from the Christmas Star

3 – Lessons from the Christmas Shepherds

I hope you enjoyed today’s devotional! Unless the Lord lays something else on my heart, next week will be the last one in this series. I am already looking forward to what He will share with us.

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Have a Grace & Joy-filled day!

Susan

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“When I am filled with cares, Your comfort brings me joy.” Psalms 94:19