Get Up With God
highly caffeinated daily bible doses to help start your morning off right

We conclude COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS here on GUWG with a selection of Christmas Day prayers to help us all keep the focus where it belongs today:

JESUS

Christmas Morning Prayer

Eternal God,

This joyful day is radiant with the brilliance of your one true light.
May that light illuminate our hearts and shine in our words and deeds.

May the hope, the peace, the joy, and the love
represented by the birth in Bethlehem fill our lives
and become part of all that we say and do.
May we share the divine life of your son Jesus Christ,
even as he humbled himself to share our humanity.
Let us be thankful for the true gift of Christmas:
your Son.

Children’s Prayer

Happy Birthday, Jesus!

We are happy because today is your special day,
you were born today, just for us.
We thank you that you came from heaven to earth just for us.
Thank you for all you did for us when you were here with us.

You taught us how to love each other.
Help us to remember to be more loving.
You taught us how to do the right thing.
Remind us that you are with us, even when we think no one is looking.

We thank you that you didn’t just stay a baby in a cradle
but you grew up to be our savior and died on the cross for our sins.
We thank you that you didn’t stay dead but you came alive
and went to heaven, opening a way so we can go there too, someday.

Thank you for all our food and family and friends.
Thank you for everyone who helped make this a great day!

Family Gathering Prayer

Father God,
When your precious Son came to earth
as a tiny baby born in a stable in Bethlehem
in poverty and simplicity,
you changed our world.

As we imagine those surroundings,
we join with the shepherds and the wise men
in wonder and praise.

We thank you for our material lives,
praise you for our spiritual lives
and trust in you for our eternal life.

Prayer Before Opening Gifts

Heavenly Father,
Thank you for giving us the best Christmas gift ever
when you sent us your Son.
Help us to accept that awesome gift with joyful hearts.

Jesus,
Help us to know you more and more
each and every day and to share your light
with those who are lost in darkness.

Holy Spirit,
Fill us to overflowing with
love and  joy and peace
so that we can be more like Jesus.
Help us to spread the good news of your great gift
throughout the world.

Christmas Dinner Prayer

God of all gifts,
We thank you for the many ways
you have blessed us this day.
We are grateful for each of those
who are gathered around this table.
We ask you to bless us and our food
and to bless those we love
who are not with us today.

In our gratitude and love,
we remember the humble birth of your Son
and pray for those who are without enough to eat
and for those who have no place to live.

We remember the challenging message
of caring and giving preached by your Son,
and we pray for love and peace in families
and nations throughout the world.

We give you thanks for the gift of your Son,
who was born on the first Christmas Day,
and for your Spirit who brings our hearts to life
this Christmas Day and forever.

Christmas Evening Prayer

Loving God,
Help us remember the birth of Jesus,
that we may share in the song of the angels,
the gladness of the shepherds,
and worship of the wise men.

Close the door of hate
and open the door of love all over the world.
Let kindness come with every gift
and good desires with every greeting.
Deliver us from evil by the blessing which Christ brings,
and teach us to be merry with clear hearts.

May Christmas evening bring us to our beds with grateful thoughts,
forgiving and forgiven, for Jesus’ sake.

(Robert Louis Stevenson)

MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE!

It’s COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS here on GUWG.

Here is the true Christmas story, as told in the gospels of Matthew, Luke and John. Pray through each and every word yourself and then read it aloud to your family and friends as you gather to thank our Heavenly Father for the most excellent gift of His Son!

Prologue

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was there with God in the beginning.

Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believe in his name, he gave the right to become children of God — children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known.

(John 1:1-5, 9-14, 16-18)

An Angel Visits Mary

God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”

“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.”

“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.

(Luke 1:26-35, 38)

An Angel Visits Joseph

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel — which means, ‘God with us.’”

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

(Matthew 1:18-25)

Jesus Is Born

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. And everyone went to his town to register.

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. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

(Luke 2:1-7)

Angels Appear to the Shepherds

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

(Luke 2:8-14)

The Shepherds Visit the Baby Jesus

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

(Luke 2:15-20)

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

It’s COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS here on GUWG. Today’s topic . . .

PEACE

Here’s what the prophet Isaiah said about Jesus hundreds of years before he was born:

He will be called “Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and peace
there will be no end.”
(Isaiah 9:6-7)

Here’s what the angels proclaimed to the shepherds when they announced Jesus’ birth:

Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.
(Luke 2:14)

Here’s what Jesus himself promised:

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.
(John 14:27)

Consider for a moment this real-life Christmas story of peace in action . . .

It was Christmas Eve 1914, a few months after the start of World War I. More than a million soldiers had already lost their lives in the bloody fighting. Bodies were strewn across the battlefield between trenches dug so close together that soldiers from opposing sides could hear one another’s voices.

Then something beautiful happened. Right there in the middle of the frozen battlefield, a German soldier began to sing:

Silent night
Holy night
All is calm
All is bright

“They finished their carol and we thought that we ought to retaliate,” a British soldier wrote in his journal. “So we sang The First Noel.” When the Brits finished, they were amazed to hear the Germans clapping. The Germans then “retaliated” with O Tannenbaum. When the Brits began singing O Come All Ye Faithful, the Germans joined in. As the British soldier wrote, “This was really a most extraordinary thing — two nations both singing the same carol in the middle of a war.”

The soldiers put down their weapons, climbed out of their trenches and began to exchange Christmas greetings with their hated enemies right there on the battlefield. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers joined in this most remarkable celebration of the birth of the Prince of Peace, culminating in a Christmas Day cease-fire that stretched along more than 500 miles of the front.

Commenting on this story, Billy Graham once said:

How different this world would be if we could unite together around that
“Holy infant so tender and mild.”
Earth can be as Heaven with Christ.
Discord can be as peace when Christ is near.
Midnight gloom can be transformed into noonday brightness
when he abides with us.

Full peace will come only when Christ returns.
But until that day we can know His peace in our hearts
and can be messengers of His peace in the world,
as we commit our lives to Him.

Here are some final words on this subject from Jesus:

Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God.
(Matthew 5:9)

Go in peace.
(Luke 7:50)

It’s COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS here on GUWG where from now until December 25 we’re preparing our hearts for the arrival of the Savior of the World.

For centuries, people with much larger brains and much purer hearts than mine have sought to express the true meaning of Christmas. Rather than blabber more myself today, I thought it might be interesting to share the perspectives of others . . .

The Son of God became a man
to enable men to become the sons of God.
(C.S. Lewis)

Christmas is God’s reminder that we are not alone.
God revealed in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus
a reconciling love that rescues us from separation and loneliness.
We are not alone; God has come down from Heaven to tell us He loves us! (Billy Graham)

God is with us.
Prophets weren’t enough. Apostles wouldn’t do. Angels wouldn’t suffice.
God sent more than miracles and messages. He sent himself; He sent his Son.
“The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”
(Max Lucado)

For the Christ-child who comes
is the Master of all.
No palace too great,
no cottage too small.
(Phillips Brooks)

Christmas, my child, is love in action.
(Dale Evans Rogers)

This is Christmas:
not the tinsel, not the giving and receiving, not even the carols,
but the humble heart that receives anew the wondrous gift, the Christ.
(Frank McKibben)

The birth of the baby Jesus stands as the most significant event in all history, because it has meant the pouring into a sick world
of the healing medicine of love
which has transformed all manner of hearts.
(George Matthew Adams)

Great little One!
Whose all-embracing birth
Lifts Earth to Heaven,
stoops Heaven to Earth.
(Richard Crashaw)

Thanks be to God for his unspeakable Gift –
indescribable, inestimable, incomparable, inexpressible –
precious beyond words.
(Lois Lebar)

And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow,
stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so?
It came without ribbons. It came without tags.
It came without packages, boxes or bags.
And he puzzled and puzzled ’til his puzzler was sore.
Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before.
What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store.
What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more?
(Dr. Seuss)

It was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well,
if any man alive possessed the knowledge.
May that be truly said of us, and all of us!
And so, as Tiny Tim observed,
“God bless us, every one!”
(Charles Dickens)

It’s COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS here on GUWG where from now until December 25 we’re preparing our hearts for the arrival of the Savior of the World.

Yesterday we talked about God becoming flesh and moving into the neighborhood and that the very best way to know God is to know Jesus.

Ask yourself this question today: Do I really know Jesus? Then click here for 6 minutes and 15 seconds of electrifying, soul-stirring, goose-bump-raising preaching guaranteed to help you get to know our coming King better.

Here’s the full script, written and spoken by Dr. S. M. Lockridge:

The Bible says He’s the King of the Jews.
He’s the King of Israel.
He’s the King of righteousness.
He’s the King of the ages.
He’s the King of Heaven.
He’s the King of glory.
He’s the King of Kings and He is the Lord of Lords.
Now that’s my King.

David said the heavens declare the glory of God,
and the firmament shows His handiwork.
No means of measure can define His limitless love.
No far-seeing telescope can bring into visibility
the coastline of His shoreless supply.
No barriers can hinder Him from pouring out His blessing.

Well, well, He’s enduringly strong.
He’s entirely sincere.
He’s eternally steadfast.
He’s immortally graceful.
He’s imperially powerful.
He’s impartially merciful.
That’s my King.

He’s God’s Son.
He’s the sinner’s savior.
He’s the centerpiece of civilization.
He stands alone in Himself.
He’s august.
He’s unique.
He’s unparalleled.
He’s unprecedented.
He’s supreme.
He’s preeminent.
He’s the loftiest idea in literature.
He’s the highest personality in philosophy.
He’s the supreme problem in high criticism.
He’s the fundamental doctrine of proved theology.
He’s the carnal necessity of spiritual religion.
That’s my King.

He’s the miracle of the age.
He’s the superlative of everything good that you choose to call Him.
He’s the only one able to supply all of our needs simultaneously.
He supplies strength for the weak.
He’s available for the tempted and the tried.
He sympathizes and He saves.
He’s a strong God and He guides.
He heals the sick.
He cleanses the lepers.
He forgives sinners.
He discharges debtors.
He delivers the captives.
He defends the feeble.
He blesses the young.
He serves the unfortunate.
He regards the aged.
He rewards the diligent and He beautifies the meek.
Do you know Him?

Well, my King is the key of knowledge.
He’s the wellspring of wisdom.
He’s the doorway of deliverance.
He’s the pathway of peace.
He’s the roadway of righteousness.
He’s the highway of holiness.
He’s the gateway of glory.
He’s the master of the mighty.
He’s the captain of the conquerors.
He’s the head of the heroes.
He’s the leader of the legislatures.
He’s the overseer of the overcomers.
He’s the governor of governors.
He’s the prince of princes.
He’s the King of kings and He’s the Lord of lords.
That’s my King! Yeah. Yeah. That’s my King. My King, Yeah!

His office is manifold.
His promise is sure.
His light is matchless.
His goodness is limitless.
His mercy is everlasting.
His love never changes.
His Word is enough.
His grace is sufficient.
His reign is righteous.
His yoke is easy and His burden is light.

Well, I wish I could describe Him to you,
but He’s indescribable. He’s indescribable.
He’s incomprehensible.
He’s invincible.
He’s irresistible.
I’m coming to tell you,
the heavens of heavens cannot contain Him,
let alone a man explain Him.
You can’t get Him out of your mind.
You can’t get Him off of your hands.
You can’t outlive Him
and you can’t live without Him.

Well, Pharisees couldn’t stand Him,
but they found out they couldn’t stop Him.
Pilate couldn’t find any fault in Him.
The witnesses couldn’t get their testimonies to agree.
Herod couldn’t kill Him.
Death couldn’t handle Him and the grave couldn’t hold Him.
That’s my King! Yeah!

He always has been and He always will be.
I’m talking about He had no predecessor
and He’ll have no successor.
There was nobody before Him and there’ll be nobody after Him.
You can’t impeach Him and He’s not going to resign.
That’s my King! That’s my King!

Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory.
The glory is all His.
Thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory,
forever and ever and ever
and when you get through with all of the forevers, then . . .

AMEN!

It’s COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS here on GUWG.

Want to know the true meaning of Christmas? There’s no better place to look than the opening chapter of the gospel account written by John — one of Jesus’ closest friends.

Pray through every beautiful, breathtaking word with all your heart, soul and mind . . .

In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
He was with God in the beginning.

Through him all things were made;
without him nothing was made that has been made.
In him was life, and that life was the light of men.

The light shines in the darkness,
but the darkness has not understood it.
The true light that gives light to every man
was coming into the world.

He was in the world,
and though the world was made through him,
the world did not recognize him.
He came to that which was his own,
but his own did not receive him.

Yet to all who received him,
to those who believed in his name,
he gave the right to become children of God—
children born not of natural descent,
nor of human decision or a husband’s will,
but born of God.

The Word became flesh
and made his dwelling among us.
We have seen his glory,
the glory of the One and Only,
who came from the Father,
full of grace and truth.

From the fullness of his grace
we have all received one blessing after another.
For the law was given through Moses;
grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

No one has ever seen God,
but God the One and Only,
who is at the Father’s side,
has made him known.

(John 1-5, 9-14, 16-18)

WANT TO KNOW GOD?
KNOW JESUS!

It’s COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS here on GUWG. Here’s today’s featured Bible verse:

She gave birth to her firstborn, a son.
She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger,
because there was no room for them in the inn.
(Luke 2:7)

Is there room in your heart for Jesus? Or is it sort of like the inn in the Christmas story — too packed to let the Savior in?

In the days leading up to Christmas it often seems that the dominant feeling is STRESS rather than JOY. I don’t know about you, but here’s what my schedule for the next few days looks like: Shopping. Traffic. Decorating. Holiday parties. More shopping. More traffic. More holiday parties. Cooking. Cleaning. Collapsing.

If we’re not careful, Christmas can fly right by us and then all of a sudden it’s December 26 and there’s nothing left to do but to watch parades and lame bowl games on TV.

Don’t let that happen this year. Leave room in your hearts for rest, reflection and the reason for the season: JESUS.

Below is some great age-old advice. We sing it every Christmas season. Let’s live it out this year . . .

Joy to the world,
The Lord has come!
Let earth receive her King.
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And heaven and nature sing.
(Isaac Watts)

It’s COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS here on GUWG where from now until December 25 we’re preparing our hearts for the arrival of the Savior of the World.

Imagine for a moment that you’re God’s VP of Marketing. You know that he’s about to go down to Earth and you want to make sure that the event generates the requisite amount of media coverage. You plan a massive kick-off gala in the heart of the world’s biggest city and start putting together a guest list featuring all the world’s biggest celebrities, politicians and CEOs.

But God has a different plan. Here it is:

WHAT:  Announcement of the birth of God’s Son
WHERE:  A pasture
AUDIENCE:  Some shepherds

You quit and go to work for someone who “gets it.”

Here’s the full story. Pray through each word, thanking God that he brought “good news of great joy” to “all the people.”

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ”Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.

The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

May we all be like these humble and joyful shepherds this Christmas season. Don’t waste another minute:

GO SPREAD THE GOOD NEWS!

It’s COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS here on GUWG where from now until December 25 we’re preparing our hearts for the arrival of the Savior of the World.

Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?
Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?
If you, then, though you are evil,
know how to give good gifts to your children,
how much more will your Father in heaven
give good gifts to those who ask him!
(Matthew 7:9-11)

Notice the exclamation point at the end of the above verse. Let’s say it again: God gives good gifts to those who ask Him! Don’t ever forget that awesome truth.

After reading that verse over and over, I decided to check out what else the Bible has to say about God’s good gifts. Pray through the verses below and let God’s good tidings of great joy fill your heart.

Gift of Eternal Life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)

Know the Gift of God. Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” (John 4:10)

Gift of the Holy Spirit. Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:38)

God’s Gift Can’t Be Bought. Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!” (Acts 8:21)

Don’t Bother Keeping the Receipt. God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable. (Romans 11:29)

Overflowing Grace. But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! (Romans 5:15)

Different Gifts for Different Folks. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. (Romans 12:6)

Different Gifts But the Same Spirit. There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:4)

God Gives Everything We Need. Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. (1 Corinthians 1:7)

Build Up the Church. Since you are eager to have spiritual gifts, try to excel in gifts that build up the church. (1 Corinthians 14:12)

Serve Others. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. (1 Peter 4:10)

The Gift Ain’t From Us. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God. (Ephesians 2:8)

Don’t Neglect Your Gift. Do not neglect your gift . . . (1 Timothy 4:14)

Every Good and Perfect Gift. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. (James 1:17)

Accept God’s Gift. Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life. (Revelation 22:17)

How should we respond? Here’s one final verse . . .

THANKS BE TO GOD
FOR HIS INDESCRIBABLE GIFT!
(2 Corinthians 9:15)

It’s COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS here on GUWG where from now until December 25 we’re preparing our hearts for the arrival of the Savior of the World.

How would you describe your attitude so far this Christmas season? Consider this . . .

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing,
taking on the very nature of a servant.
being made in human likeness.
(Philippians 2:5-7)

Imagine for a moment that you’re the creator of the universe. You decide to come down to Earth. You have all the power in the world at your disposal; you could make yourself into anything you want. What would you choose?

If it were up to me, I’d probably choose to come down as a devastatingly handsome superhero with gigantic muscles and all the best powers of Superman, Batman, Spiderman and all the others combined. I’d live in a humongous home conveniently located next to the ocean, an amusement park and a 144-hole golf course rigged so that I would never make another bogey in my life. I’d make my earthly debut in a spectacular simulcast-on-all-TV-and-Internet-channels-rock-and-roll-extravaganza with maybe Coldplay opening for U2 opening for the reunited Beatles (including John and George) opening for me.

Here’s what Jesus made himself: nothing.

The creator of the universe came to Earth as a vulnerable little baby born in a feeding trough in the middle of nowhere. His mom was a young peasant girl. His earthly dad was a humble carpenter. No mansion. No golf course. No simulcast. No Beatles.

Why on earth would He do that? He did it for you and me.

As it says right after the verses quoted above:

And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death –
even death on a cross!
(Philippians 2:8)

Be like Jesus. Don’t be afraid to become a complete nothing in the world’s eyes. All you need is God. And that’s everything.