God Is Inviting You To Rest and Behold His Glory

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”

Proverbs 3:5-6

Did you ever wonder what it must have been like to be in the stable when the Son of God let out his first cry? I paused from my Christmas decorating to ponder that thought and watch my eight and ten-year-old daughters unwrap the nativity pieces. As they lifted each delicate, hand-painted figurine from its brown paper wrapping, their eyes widened with excitement. They carefully set each one in place. And when the manger scene was complete, they sat down in front of it and stared. It was as if they, too, had been invited to stop their activity, to come to the stable, and behold the glory of the Babe in the manger. For a minute, their busyness ceased. Their excited, little girl chatter stopped. And they were swept up, for just a moment, in the beauty and wonder of Christmas.

Later that night, after everyone was tucked into bed and the house was quiet, I went back to the manger scene, sat down in front of it and stared.  Mary cradled baby Jesus in her arms. Joseph gazed adoringly. The shepherds gathered quietly. Each had been invited to stop their activity and simply behold the glory of the Babe in the manger.  

The months leading up to this night had been anything but wonderful for Mary. She and Joseph were planning their wedding when God sent the angel, Gabriel, to her. He let Mary know that if she would accept God’s plan for her, she would become pregnant by the Holy Spirit, and the child in her womb would be the very Son of God. To say that Mary was confused and disturbed would be an understatement. After all, no one had ever become pregnant by the Holy Spirit! Would Joseph and the people in her village believer her? For a young, unmarried girl to become pregnant in her day meant sure disaster! Joseph, along with every other person in Nazareth, could reject her.  She could be publicly shamed or even killed.

Peace over God’s plan for her seemed impossible. Yet she trusted God in spite of her fears. For the next nine months, God would require Mary to trust him for her relationship with Joseph, for their safety, and for the life of this baby that was growing in her womb.  Life for Mary was hard. The struggle was real. The tears were many. The uncertainties felt overwhelming.

Yet on that first Christmas night, Mary was invited to rest from her fears. To rest from her struggle. And behold the glory of the Babe in the manger.

Sweet friend, if life feels hard for you right now. If the struggle is real and your tears are many, God is inviting you this moment to rest in him and trust him. Every detail of your situation is in his hands. So come to the manger, if only for a moment, and behold his Glory. He is Christ the Lord. Hope for you. Hope for me. Hope for this world.

Anna Frye is a speaker, author, television host and founder of the Chosen and Crowned tribe. She invites moms and wives to celebrate imperfect progress fueled by the grace of a perfect God. She helps women bravely talk about the messy places of life, instead of hiding shamefully under them. She believes that lasting beauty comes when women courageously surrender their ashes to God and allow him to do something mind-blowingly amazing with them. If this resonates with you, then you belong with the Chosen and Crowned tribe. Connect at www.ChosenAndCrowned.com/blog