one step: Luke 2.3

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest,
    and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
Luke 2:8-14

What makes you afraid? How would you feel if you were out in a field, alone, in total quiet (other than the occasional bleat of sheep), when an angel burst forth with bright light? I’m sure that you, like me, would be terrified.

The angel consoles the onlooking shepherds with the words, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” While the words of the angel help calm the shepherds, there is something more at play here that we must be aware of.

In Luke 1:50-53, Mary, in response to the promise from the angel Gabriel of the coming of Jesus, refers to those who receive the mercy of God as God-fearers.* Said another way, God-fearers were counted as those whom God’s favor rests.* The fact that God’s favor and the coming of Jesus are synonymous tells us of the importance of being counted among the God-fearers.

With the importance of God-fear in mind, hear these words of the angel: “fear not, for behold, I bring you good news…” Said another way, “Don’t fear me, look, I’m just the messenger.”

It’s worth noting that the name of this angel is not mentioned, though scholars believe the messenger to be Gabriel.* Why? Because the message was more important than the messenger.* This messenger knew his place in the Jesus-story, and it was not to attract fear unto himself.

How do we know that the angel was successful at redirecting their fear from himself and back to God? After this encounter, the shepherds glorified God and praised Him for all that they had seen and heard.* They didn’t go on and on about how amazing the angels were (they ended up seeing a LOT of angels); they went on and on about how amazing God was to have shown them this and allowed them to be a part of His salvation story.

There are a lot of things that happen in this life that can steal our fear. We can fear death, failure, rejection, and more. God wants you to fear Him. Why? Because when we do, our lives sing of His glory, and His favor rests upon us.

Today, take a step.

Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to repent for fearing the wrong thing. Perhaps today God wants you to walk as the God-fearer He made you to be. Maybe today God wants you to sing of His glory and praise Him for what He’s done in your story, even though you have seen a lot.

Whatever the step, ask God to direct it. Take a moment to take that step. Invite Him to speak. He will.

Life is a long road. Walk it with Jesus.

Feel free to comment at the bottom of this page! We would love to hear from you!

*Bock, D. L. (1994). Luke (Lk 2:8–21). InterVarsity Press.
Garland, D. E. (2012). Luke (pp. 122–124). Zondervan.
Edwards, J. R. (2015). The Gospel according to Luke (D. A. Carson, Ed.; pp. 74–79). William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company; Apollos.
Liefeld, W. L., & Pao, D. W. (2007). Luke. In T. Longman III & D. E. Garland (Eds.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Luke–Acts (Revised Edition) (Vol. 10, pp. 78–79). Zondervan.
Bock, D. L. (1996). Luke (pp. 84–85). Zondervan Publishing House.
Nolland, J. (1989). Luke 1:1–9:20 (Vol. 35A, pp. 106–107). Word, Incorporated.

one step: water break

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

Matthew 3:7

The One Step Daily Devotional is intended to provide just one step each day for your journey with God. Every journey requires water breaks. Here is a water break for you.

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John the baptist was all about making way for the path of the Messiah. When people came to him, they heard his words: repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. He was more than happy to baptize those whose hearts were repentant. When the Pharisees showed up with ill-intent, he had no time for them. Calling them a brood of vipers, he exposed their motives in a direct way.

Later used by Jesus in Matthew 12:34, the name “brood of vipers” implies that the Pharisees and Sadducees were the offspring of vile serpents, bent on sneaky treachery.

A sneaky, treacherous snake appears in Genesis 3, temping Adam and Eve. Jesus later tells His disciples in Luke 10:19 that they have the authority from Him to tread on serpents. In His words, Jesus shows us that “serpents” at times refers to the enemy in our lives.

Have you ever experienced “life” hitting you in such a way that it seemed that there was some force against you? There are times that we hit obstacles or run up against elements of this broken world (including other people or our own imperfect flesh). Some times we just feel unlucky. Other times, however, there seems to be something deceptive and devious going on.

Early in the 5th century, Maewyn Succat awoke, sure that he had heard God in a dream. The words told him of a ship that would carry him to freedom, and the time had come! Maewyn suffered as a slave for 6 years after being abducted from his parent's’ home at the age of sixteen. After his harrowing God-escape, Maewyn’s return to his homeland promised to his long-desired return home. Instead, he found himself once again enslaved, though briefly, and facing death by starvation. Was this the opposition of life, or was there some other force at work, seeking to steal, kill, and destroy?

Eventually, Maewyn made it home. After some time, another dream came. In this dream, and angel told him that the voices of the country of his capture were crying out for salvation. Uncertain of his own qualifications, and insecure in his own lack of education, Maewyn underwent ordination into the church to prepare him to share the Gospel with the pagan, nature-worshipping inhabitants from which he escaped.

It was during this time that Maewyn adopted a new name: Patrick. Patrick fearfully departed from his home, Britain, aiming to return to Ireland.

Over the remainder of his life, Patrick traveled extensively, sharing Jesus at the risk of his own life. To this day, his work at bringing Jesus to Ireland is appreciated and recognized.

It was later said that Patrick drove the snakes out of Ireland. History tells us that there never were snakes in Ireland. Could it be that at some point, those who said that he drove out the snakes understood that the work of Patrick to bring Jesus to Ireland drove out some devious work of the devil? Could it be that it was the work of Jesus through Patrick that satan whole-heartedly opposed, using kidnapping, slavery, and discouragement to attempt to thwart?

What is the enemy doing to derail the call of God on your life?

Could it be that God is calling you to shout out, “the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand” even in places that once held you enslaved? Could it be that you don’t need a bit of luck, but you need a bit of, “yes” to Jesus?

Today, take a step. Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to forgive. Perhaps today God wants you to step out, beyond the constraints of your own insecurity to say, “yes” to His call on your life. Maybe today God would ask you to drive out the snakes.

Whatever the step, ask God to direct it. Take a moment to take that step. Invite Him to speak. He will.

Life is a long road. Walk it with Jesus. Take a water break… we all get thirsty.

Feel free to comment at the bottom of this page! We would love to hear from you!

one step: Luke 2.2

And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
Luke 2:4-7

I grew up seeing depictions of the story of the birth of Jesus. These stories often showed uncaring, grumpy depictions of a inn-keeper, turning Joseph and his pregnant wife Mary away. These stories showed Mary and Joseph, isolated and alone save for a few barn animals in a cave. History actually tells us something different.

According to scholars, homes in Bethlehem at the time of the birth of Jesus were frequently divided into three rooms: a family room, a guest room, and animal quarters.* Each of these rooms often had their own entrance. The family room and guest room were divided by a full, floor-to-ceiling wall.* Meanwhile, the animal quarters and the family room were divided by a half wall.* This allowed the family to feed animals without going outside into the elements.* This would have been the “inn” in which Joseph and Mary could find no space.

The word we read in english as “inn” actually referred to one such guest rooms, and not a commercial establishment like what the Good Samaritan would have utilized (Luke 10:29-37).* When Luke tells us that there was no room, he meant that the guest room of the family home that they were staying at as guests (due to travel for the census) was full.* So, Joseph and Mary stayed in the animal quarters, which was connected to the family room.* This implies that they would not have been alone for the birth of Jesus, nor would Joseph have been solely responsible for the birthing process.

Scholars also believe that Mary and Joseph didn’t have Jesus right after they had arrived, but most likely were there for awhile, and moved from the crowded family guest room to the stable area for the birth.*

What does this mean for us? It means a lot, but think about this: how might the home-owners have changed the arrangements had they believed that Jesus was the coming Messiah? What room would they have offered?

What room do we offer Jesus in our lives?

When Jesus comes to us unexpectedly, asking us for space in some area of our lives will we send Him to the animals with a promise of safe care, or will we allow Him to use the entire space of our lives as He sees fit, even if we think it’s too full?

Today, take a step.

Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to make room for Him. Perhaps today there is a space in your heart that you have been hiding from Jesus, and today God wants you to open up your whole life to Him. Maybe today God wants you put Him first.

Whatever the step, ask God to direct it. Take a moment to take that step. Invite Him to speak. He will.

Life is a long road. Walk it with Jesus.

Feel free to comment at the bottom of this page! We would love to hear from you!

*Bock, D. L. (1994). Luke (Lk 2:1–7). InterVarsity Press.
Garland, D. E. (2012). Luke (pp. 119–120). Zondervan.
Edwards, J. R. (2015). The Gospel according to Luke (D. A. Carson, Ed.; pp. 71–73). William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company; Apollos.
Liefeld, W. L., & Pao, D. W. (2007). Luke. In T. Longman III & D. E. Garland (Eds.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Luke–Acts (Revised Edition) (Vol. 10, p. 76). Zondervan.
Bock, D. L. (1996). Luke (pp. 83–84). Zondervan Publishing House.
Bock, D. L. (1994). Luke: 1:1–9:50 (Vol. 1, p. 206). Baker Academic.
Nolland, J. (1989). Luke 1:1–9:20 (Vol. 35A, pp. 105–106). Word, Incorporated.

one step: Luke 2.1

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town.
Luke 2:1-3

According to Alexander Dumas (grandson of the famous general under Napoleon and author of The Count of Monte Cristo), Napoleon once said, “In this life we are either kings or pawns, emperors and fools.”* There is some debate as to what Napoleon meant, but it seems that Napoleon almost had it right.

In the eyes of God, according to what we see in Luke 2:1-3, even kings are pawns. The balance between the sovereignty of God and the choice of man can be debated at a later date, but for now, we must recognize that the mandate of man unwittingly played a vital role in the purposes of God.*

It was vital for Jesus to successfully fulfill every prophecy in Scripture in order to qualify as the true Messiah. How would a family from Nazareth end up in Bethlehem? A census to tax them.* Interestingly, the census that seemed to serve the purpose of the Roman Empire (to tax everyone and emphasize their power over the people) actually served the purposes of God to fulfill the messianic prophecy found in Micah 5:2:

But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
    who are too little to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
    one who is to be ruler in Israel,
whose coming forth is from of old,
    from ancient days.

In this life, it can feel like there are forces working against you in places of power beyond your control. You can feel that, “life is happening to you,” or that, “the bad guys are winning.” Because of the mandatory census, Mary had to travel over 90 miles over the course of three days while pregnant to reach Bethlehem.* That’s incredibly difficult and risky. Because of the census, she had to give birth away from proper help and family.

While much that happens in this life is the result of sin and brokenness, God uses it for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).

While it may feel that kings are in charge, and we are their pawns, even kings take turns being pawns in a bigger God-story.

Today, take a step.

Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to remember that He is for you. Perhaps today God wants you to know that He can use even the difficult things in life for His purposes and your best. Maybe today God wants you to remember who is the ultimate authority: Him.

Whatever the step, ask God to direct it. Take a moment to take that step. Invite Him to speak. He will.

Life is a long road. Walk it with Jesus.

Feel free to comment at the bottom of this page! We would love to hear from you!

*Dumas, Alexandre, The Count of Monte Cristo (London: Penguin Classics, 2003), 106.
Bock, D. L. (1994). Luke (Lk 2:1–7). InterVarsity Press.
Garland, D. E. (2012). Luke (pp. 117–119). Zondervan.
Edwards, J. R. (2015). The Gospel according to Luke (D. A. Carson, Ed.; pp. 66–71). William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company; Apollos.
Liefeld, W. L., & Pao, D. W. (2007). Luke. In T. Longman III & D. E. Garland (Eds.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Luke–Acts (Revised Edition) (Vol. 10, pp. 75–76). Zondervan.
Bock, D. L. (1996). Luke (p. 83). Zondervan Publishing House.
Bock, D. L. (1994). Luke: 1:1–9:50 (Vol. 1, pp. 202–204). Baker Academic.
Nolland, J. (1989). Luke 1:1–9:20 (Vol. 35A, pp. 103–104). Word, Incorporated.

one step: Luke 1.19

And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.
Luke 1:80

I think I can say with confidence that we have all walked through a wilderness season of life. The wilderness is a place of isolation and obscurity. It’s remote and uninhabited.* Wilderness regions are far and away from powers and influence and the benefits of their oversight.* The wilderness can be a place of great testing. The wilderness is often quite hard.

Have you experienced a season like this?

For John, the wilderness wasn’t an experience. The wilderness was home. It was the place of his development and growth. In this scripture, we see that John became strong in body and in character.* Shockingly, the wilderness was the environment that God chose to grow John.

Maybe your upbringing could be described as a wilderness. Perhaps you have lived your whole life feeling isolated and hidden in obscurity. Though it was hard, know that God was at work even in your wilderness. Though there was pain, God was using it for your good.

After Luke 1:80, we don’t hear about John again until Luke 3:2-3:

during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

The preparation and growth and character-building that God invested in John in the wilderness birthed the greatest message of all time: repentance and forgiveness are possible! The Messiah was coming! The Kingdom of Heaven was at hand!

God wants to give you a word. He wants to put a message in your mouth that will bring others to repentance and forgiveness and relationship with Him. The pain and difficulty of our wildernesses can be used for good. They were used for preparation. Will we, like John, hear God and proclaim"?

Today, take a step.

Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to view your wilderness journey through God’s preparatory perspective. Perhaps today God wants you to hear His Word and proclaim it. Maybe today God wants you to know that your pain and difficult seasons were not in vain. Perhaps today God is asking you to step out of your isolation and into the presence of others.

Whatever the step, ask God to direct it. Take a moment to take that step. Invite Him to speak. He will.

Life is a long road. Walk it with Jesus.

Feel free to comment at the bottom of this page! We would love to hear from you!

*Bock, D. L. (1994). Luke (Lk 1:76–80). InterVarsity Press.
Garland, D. E. (2012). Luke (pp. 109–110). Zondervan.
Edwards, J. R. (2015). The Gospel according to Luke (D. A. Carson, Ed.; pp. 64–65). William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company; Apollos.
Liefeld, W. L., & Pao, D. W. (2007). Luke. In T. Longman III & D. E. Garland (Eds.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Luke–Acts (Revised Edition) (Vol. 10, p. 72). Zondervan.
Liefeld, W. L., & Pao, D. W. (2007). Luke. In T. Longman III & D. E. Garland (Eds.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Luke–Acts (Revised Edition) (Vol. 10, p. 74). Zondervan.
Bock, D. L. (1994). Luke: 1:1–9:50 (Vol. 1, pp. 194–195). Baker Academic.
Nolland, J. (1989). Luke 1:1–9:20 (Vol. 35A, pp. 90–91). Word, Incorporated.