I'm not sure when it happened. I had set up a miniature nativity scene on my kitchen table; it was complete with a little stable, sheep, a donkey, wise men, Joseph, Mary, and of course the baby in the manger. But somehow, in my hurry and flurry, when I was cleaning I must have thrown the baby out! I couldn't find him anywhere! So what good is a nativity scene without the baby?
I rearranged the scene and instead of the having the characters looking down at the Prince of Peace I positioned them so that they were all looking anxiously around the table for the lost baby. Looking at the chaos on my table I was reminded of the prophecy in Isaiah, "See, the virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name Him Emmanuel, which is translated, "God is with us."
As I thought about what this means I was reminded of something that had happened earlier this year. I was confronted by a situation that overwhelmed me. I saw no solution. I felt afraid. As I began to pray I heard in my spirit the words from Isaiah, "Do not fear, for I am with you." I turned my thoughts away from the situation that brought me anxiety and focused instead on Emmanuel.
In the intimacy of prayer I heard His voice, "Do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." I felt my weakness exchanged for His strength, my fear was replaced by His peace.
Sometimes I have a level of anxiety that comes with the Christmas season. It's a feeling of being incomplete, not enough. The missing baby in the manger caused me to pause and reflect on what it means to have an ever present God. A God who was, who is, and who is coming again. It caused me to think about the Almighty God who is the Prince of Peace who came as a shepherd to find me. I was the one lost, not Him. As I meditate on this truth I hear deep in my spirit, "Do not be afraid, I am with you."
