Swaddling in a Manger - By Lexie Wilson

Luke 2:12 “This will be a sign to you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
As a high school student, I have developed contempt toward research. Teachers will assign research projects and it requires a lot of effort to search for the correct information, paraphrase it, and cite it correctly. That is why I have chosen to begin this devotion with a bit of research.
In some translations of the bible, the cloths that Jesus was wrapped in are referred to as swaddling clothes. The purpose of swaddling clothes is to minimize the baby’s movement with taut wrappings. They were believed to improve posture later in life, but more recent studies have shown that they more often aide the child in sleeping peacefully. Now, this may sound like a bunch of gibberish that is interesting, but doesn’t necessarily apply to your busy life. But let’s take a second look. Christ was put on this earth to show us how to live our lives and to be an eternal sacrifice for our sins. We are designed in God’s image, so we are also designed to follow His example, even from the day he was born. We can compare the swaddling of a baby to the care that God gives us as we grow and mature as children of God. As our Savior lay in the manger that night in Bethlehem, he was completely still. Exodus 14:14 tells us “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Sometimes when our lives become overscheduled and frantic, we lose sight of what is truly important. Sometimes it is absolutely necessary to let go of everything we hold onto in this life and simply stand still. And in that utter stillness, we can let God stand in front of us, and fight away all of our stress and worries. In that stillness, we can take a step closer to God in all of His glory and majesty, just as swaddling clothes are wrapped so close to a child’s skin. Even more so, we can look to the effects of swaddling as it benefits the sleeping habits of infants. Medically, stillness is associated with a good night’s rest. Spiritually, stillness is associated with peace. As we are swaddled by God’s love for us, we are filled with His peace and forgiveness. And to think that Christ was sending us this message on the night of His birth!
Let me present you with another metaphor of sorts. Christ was placed in a manger. That’s a pretty humble way to enter the earth, wouldn’t you think? This is His example to us to be humble in every action, but to do so out of love. You have probably pieced that together on your own, but what about this: a manger is a feeding trough. As in, hay is put in it for all the smelly livestock to eat out of. It is their dinner table, so to speak. When baby Jesus was put in the manger, he became our spiritual feed. Now you’re probably thinking, “What is she saying? Are we supposed to go home and eat our nativity scenes?” NO! Don’t eat your nativity—they aren’t very appetizing and baby Jesus will need his head for next year. Here’s the point: The Lord’s Prayer (spoken by Jesus later in His life on earth) says “Give us this day our daily bread.” Meaning, we need something to chew on to keep our faith growing. So, when Jesus was in that manger, he became our bread, our sustenance, our life. He spoke the New Testament and gave us words to live by. He died on that cross so that we could live with Him someday. And with Christ in our hearts and minds (and stomachs!) we are unstoppable, ever-shining, children of God.

So the angels were right in telling the shepherds to find the new-born Messiah. They were also right in telling us to find the omniscient, omnipresent, and eternal Messiah today.

PRAYER: Father God, we thank you for the birth of Your son, Jesus. For his actions, even from that first night in Bethlehem, guide us daily. Your angels spoke truth to the shepherds, now may they bring truth to all of us. This gift of Christ is incomparable, and we thank you for Him. Lord, let us be still in these crazy lives we lead. Let us open our hearts and minds to you as you fight for us this Christmas season. May we follow in your footsteps every day, and lead by the example of Christ; showing compassion for all with a humble heart and a giving soul. Let your will be done and your Kingdom come to all. Let us shine like the star of Bethlehem and lead your people home. In His holy and almighty name, Amen.