Matthew 1:20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.” 

This Christmas season has been different. Our year old cats have broken ornaments after climbing our Christmas tree. They pulled off red ribbon that I had wrapped around the tree so I had to strip the tree of all of its ribbons which circled from the bottom to the top. Apparently, the cats had a party while we slept and jumped on the tree so much that when we awoke on a Saturday morning, we found ornaments strewn on the floor.

I feel like I’ve always known that the true meaning of Christmas is not in a Christmas tree, but I have enjoyed placing special ornaments on the tree. I knew that it would be unwise to decorate the tree this year with anything of sentimental value because there was a pretty good chance that the tree would experience drama from the cats. Sure enough, I was right.

After stripping the red ribbon from the tree and rolling it up, I began thinking about how Jesus had to strip away His will and follow His Father’s perfect plan to come to Earth. His mission was clear: save the world from sin. He had to come and be a part of humanity, cry as a baby, be held by Mary, taught carpentry by his earthly father, Joseph, then go about his heavenly father’s business. His willingness to come required careful planning from God. The Holy Spirit of God orchestrated the entrance of the Jesus into the world.

The Savior of the world came into the world as a human baby after He had been conceived or created in Mary’s womb. I read the words that an angel spoke to Joseph in a dream and accept, by faith, that God who knows all things knew how to place Jesus into Mary’s body. The angel shared words that echo throughout history: “that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit”. The miracle of Jesus being created in Mary’s body is incredible and it teaches me principles of how God carries out His perfect plans.

1. He thinks though details but doesn’t always share the specifics.
2. His Holy Spirit will accomplish His perfect plan.
3. Whatever needs to be created will happen by the power of the Holy Spirit.
4. By faith, we must accept God’s plans and trust Him with the outcome.

The power of the Holy Spirit accomplished the will of the Father. Jesus left the glory of heaven to come to the Earth with the purpose of saving the world. I know that God provided Jesus in the body of Mary and that he had to have a human birth to become Emmanuel, God With Us. I am grateful that Jesus humbled himself to leave His heavenly home to do what only He could do.

My plan to have a tree decorated with all that made me happy had to change this year. I have come to realize that my plans must be in submission to my father in heaven. I need the power of the Holy Spirit to conceive in me the ideas that I need to function and succeed in my life. Thankfully, the Holy Spirit continues to bring about needed changes in my life and keeps me in tune with the perfect will of God. The word of God, prayer and the work of the Holy Spirit create an environment that helps me focus on the truth and on Jesus who has saved me from my sins.

Thankfully, I will ask him to conceive in my heart the plans that he has for me and for my family. I want to be ready to receive whatever He conceives in me. His Word tells us that God has prepared “things” for those who love him that we haven’t ever seen, heard or conceived. I can count on the Holy Spirit of God to do the work in my heart and in my circumstances to bring about His will in me.

1 Corinthians 2:9 “However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” — the things God has prepared for those who love him– “