Daily Devotional – 12/25/11 “Your birth potential”

After Mary was chosen to carry God’s only Son, she had no idea that she was giving birth to such a Man as this.  A man who could heal folk’s illnesses by just a touch or a few words, give sight to the blind, feed a multitude with mere morsels and walked on water because he could; not to brag but to show you the power of faith. A man who could calm raging seas when folk was afraid, wipe out cities when there was hell leading the people and raise folk from the dead.  He was this type of Man to do all these things just to be sacrificed so that we could be free to sin and then is forgiven.  Mary had no idea the potential of the person she brought into this world but God did.

Just like Mary, you don’t know the potential your life has, but God does.  He knew before you were born what he had planned for your life, so you had birth potential. Jeremiah 1:5 says “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”  He knows that you’ll be able to handle the tests that he sends your way and even the attacks by the enemies because he has approved them too.  That’s why everybody’s storm and testimony is different. If he wanted everybody’s trials, tribulations and tests to be the same, then he would send them to the world and not just to you.  See, God doesn’t send storms to take you out but it’s just to refresh you while you’re walking this journey because he knew that you would get dirty while going. The storms are just to refresh you which restore you to your original state before the storm which is usually greater than before.  He doesn’t want you to give up but he wants you to give whatever you’re going through to him. When Jesus walked into new places, he wasn’t always received but he had kingdom business to do, so he went anyway. He didn’t allow what folks said and how they treated him to deter him because he knew that once his work here was done, he’d have a much greater reward waiting. It’s like you giving your child a treat after they get a great report card or doing their chores. It’s the same with you because not every place and everybody will accept you, but work on. If you stopped every time somebody counted you out, you’d never have anything.  Go on because your reward from your Father is much greater than one anybody on Earth can give.

So, on the Christmas Day, remember the real reason. It’s not about the gifts that you gave the kids to open but it’s about the birth of a Man that never judged, could turn water to wine, open his mouth and thousands listened, had healing powers in his hem of the clothes he wore and even loved those he knew would betray him. Christmas is about fellowshipping and bringing families together. Gift giving is good, sometimes great, but to look upon the face of all my family members and friends, is one of the best. I thank God for Jesus and I thank him for allowing Jesus to be sacrificed for me. Even when I don’t say thank you, bow my head to pray and lift my arms to praise him, he stills! I thank God and today I say Happy Birthday to you, Jesus, and your work & struggle was/is not in vain!