December 24 No Misfits Here

Luke 2:4-5 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.

JOSEPH and Mary are on an 80-mile walk from Nazareth in Galilee to Bethlehem in Judea. The journey would take about 5-8 days, depending on how everyone was feeling. After John’s birth about 6 months prior, this is the next step of God’s magnificent plan to save the world. 
     Consider here the centuries of promises and prophecies from Abraham to Isaac to Joseph to Moses to Samuel to David to Isaiah to Daniel to Joseph and Mary. Wait, “Joseph and Mary”? Can we say their names in the same breath with the mighty, godly heroes of Israel’s history? They are impoverished misfits, scared misfits just following the crowd, aren’t they?
     Or are they misfits? No, they’re not. Joseph and Mary are surely as big a part of God’s plan of salvation as the mighty and famous. God chooses people of all shapes, sizes and backgrounds to put them on a journey with him to bring salvation to the world. God takes “misfits” and fits them perfectly into his plan.
     That’s why he’s called you. Yes, you. If you feel God calling you to something new and difficult, you may say as an excuse, “But I’m a misfit, Lord!” But you’re not. The Lord God Almighty is calling you. When you say, “Yes, Lord. I will go to see how I fit into your plan to save your people.” you will enter into a journey that goes step by step to the places he needs you to go – to a crowded town, a stinky stable, a sheep pasture, a rocky road, a mountain top, a fertile plain, a neighbor in need, a friend who needs prayer, a gospel explanation to one who has questions, or, yes, even to a cross. Yes, God’s salvation makes you his. I pray you enjoy the wonder of your journey with him all the way to Heaven.

Prayer: Thank you, Father, for the ways you fit me into your plan of salvation. In the Spirit’s holy power, amen.