^{DEVOTIONAL, 12/15/20}

Now in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” (Luke 1:26-28 NKJV).

The virgin birth of Jesus used to be a significant stumbling block for me. I assumed the story of Jesus birth was a myth. Yes, Isaiah prophesied that a virgin would conceive and bear a Son, and the Gospel writers confirmed that it happened as prophesied. I did not believe what the Bible taught. Once I was converted to faith in Jesus, my entire worldview changed. Yes, to an unbeliever, many stories in the Bible seem mythical. Once faith was born in my heart, I came to believe that nothing is impossible for God. The God who created the universe with a word can surely figure out how to introduce His Son to the world through a miraculous virgin birth.

God wanted to identify with the human race fully, so He entered the world through a human mother. We, like Mary, are highly favored when we trust in Jesus. Christmas is undoubtedly the most wonderful time of the year. It is a time to celebrate what God has done for us.

Father, forgive me for those times when I doubted You. I thank You that my eyes have been opened, and I now see Jesus as the Savior of the world. By Your grace working through the Holy Spirit, keep me in true faith unto everlasting life. Amen.