The Chosen Bible Devotional (Advent Series #2)
“Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee, called Nazareth.” Luke 1:26 NASB1995 – Jesus’ Birth Foretold – Now in the – Bible Gateway
The Story Begins
When God began weaving the Christmas story into human history, He didn’t choose a palace or a platform. He chose a quiet village, a humble home, and two ordinary people—Mary and Joseph.
Their lives weren’t glamorous. Their circumstances weren’t easy. Their future wasn’t certain.
Yet God entrusted them with the most sacred role in history. He saw what we often overlook: a heart ready to respond. The Chosen Bible Devotional reminds us He is looking for surrendered hearts. They are those that say, “Yes, Lord”, even when the path ahead has a great cost.
Mary – A Costly Calling
When our hearts turn towards the Christmas story, we often think about the beautiful Christmas cards that portray Mary. These cards feature a soft light, a peaceful expression, and a seemingly gentle obedience. Those images are quite stunning and serene. And yet, I wonder if that was Mary’s reality at all. The moment that Gabriel stepped into the scene, Mary’s entire world tilted.
Public shame—not quiet embarrassment, but loud, community-wide humiliation. She could be dragged before elders, judged harshly, and even legally stoned under the law. She risked losing Joseph, her married future. She risked being disowned by her family. She may live as a permanent outcast while enduring whispers for the rest of her life. I can only imagine that peaceful and serene was not her reality.
And yet her response, said everything about why God chose Mary for this most sacred mission. Even in the midst of her fear, Mary said,
“Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; be it done to me according to your word.” Luke 1:38 (Luke 1:38 NASB1995 – And Mary said, “Behold, the bondslave – Bible Gateway )
…a willing heart in the face of total uncertainty.
Joseph – Choosing Obedience over Reputation
Joseph we are told in Scripture, was a ‘righteous’ man. He faced consequences as well. His reputation would take a severe blow. Accepting Mary meant people would assume one of two things. They would think Joseph was betrayed by a sinful woman. Alternatively, they would think he accepted the betrayal and was a foolish man. Either way, he would be ridiculed.
“And Joseph arose from his sleep, and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took her as his wife.”
( Matthew 1:24 NASB1995 – And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did – Bible Gateway)
…he chose obedience over reputation and surrender over comfort.
Why Were They Chosen?
Mary and Joseph were not chosen because they were flawless, superhuman people, though we often imagine Bible characters that way.
They were chosen because they were willing.
God saw hearts ready to surrender, even when obedience came with a cost. He wasn’t looking for perfection. All throughout Scripture, we see that He has looked for people whose hearts were bent toward Him. Mary and Joseph were ready to hear and ready to obey.
And that willingness opened the door for extraordinary grace. It positioned them to witness unimaginable things – events only God Himself could bring to pass. Their ordinary lives became extraordinary simply because their hearts were open to God’s call.
God’s Call on Us
The Chosen Bible Devotional and Christmas story can be a mirror held up to our lives. It invites us to ask:
What has God chosen me for in this season of my life?
What step of obedience is waiting on my willing heart?
What blessing might I miss if I let fear or reputation decide instead of faith?
You see, obedience rarely comes without cost—but it always comes with purpose.
The Christmas story isn’t just about their calling—it can be about ours too.
God still chooses ordinary believers for His extraordinary work. He still selects His creation for His own purposes. This often happens in quiet, unexpected ways. Perhaps ways that throw your world “off tilt” as well. The question is not “Am I capable?” The deeper question is “Am I willing?”
Scripture assures us that just as Mary and Joseph were chosen by God for special purposes, so are we:
“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand for us to walk in.”
Ephesians 2:10 NASB1995 – For we are His workmanship, created in – Bible Gateway
This Christmas season, don’t let these familiar stories feel distant or be far-off truths in the Word of God. Let them draw you close. Let them speak into your own walk of faith. Use them to examine your heart. Ask God to shape in you the same willing spirit He saw in Mary and Joseph. And remember:
YOU, TOO, ARE CHOSEN—IF YOU BELONG TO HIM.
For a Deeper Dive into The Chosen Bible Devotional, with Scripture Reflection
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