December 10th, 2025 Devotional

LIVING WATER VINEYARD DEVOTION

Wednesday — “Another Yes… Another Boat… Another Storm”

Luke 2 • Matthew 8 • Mark 4

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THE STORY — THE CENSUS AND THE JOURNEY NOBODY WANTED

Mary has already said her yes.

Joseph has already said his yes.

And then Luke 2 opens with a reminder of something we don’t always like to hear:

When you say yes to God, there will always be another yes.

Another step.

Another boat.

Another storm.

The next “yes” for Mary and Joseph came in the form of a decree from Caesar Augustus:

“All the world should be registered.”

A census.

Ordered by an Emperor who didn’t know their names.

A decree that forced them to travel at the worst possible time.

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WHAT THE JOURNEY WAS REALLY LIKE

This wasn’t a pleasant ride.

This wasn’t a peaceful stroll.

Mary was very pregnant.

Joseph was exhausted and likely frustrated.

From Nazareth to Bethlehem was about 90 miles, depending on the route. Most travelers followed the Jordan Valley — flat but long — before climbing through rugged hills toward Jerusalem and Bethlehem.

For Mary and Joseph this meant:

   •   10 days of hard travel

   •   Sleeping outdoors or in overcrowded roadside shelters

   •   Exposure to bandits, wild animals, and harsh weather

   •   Carrying whatever food they packed

   •   Joseph walking on foot

   •   Mary riding a donkey or walking slowly, painfully

   •   No medical help

   •   No midwife

   •   No guarantee of shelter upon arrival

And yet…

They went.

Because when God speaks and you say yes…

your life becomes a series of yeses.

Compounded yeses.

Costly yeses.

Each one deeper than the last.

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THE WAVES RISE AGAIN FOR THIS YOUNG COUPLE

Mary said yes to carrying Jesus.

Joseph said yes to taking Mary as his wife.

Now they must say yes to a journey that will:

   •   disrupt their security

   •   threaten their safety

   •   expose them to danger

   •   empty their resources

   •   lead them to an unknown outcome

They don’t know what awaits them in Bethlehem.

There is no promise of comfort.

No promise of a bed.

No promise of a quiet birth.

No promise of acceptance.

All they know is:

God called.

They obeyed.

And God would meet them there — wherever “there” was.

This is the Christmas story behind the Christmas story:

Obedience is costly.

But every wave brings you closer to Jesus.

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THE PARALLEL — WILLIAM CAREY: THE “FATHER OF MODERN MISSIONS”

Bruce Shelley highlights the remarkable life of William Carey — a British shoemaker-turned-pastor with a burning heart for the nations.

HIS BACKGROUND

   •   Born into poverty

   •   Self-educated

   •   Learned Greek, Hebrew, Latin while repairing shoes

   •   Became a pastor and schoolteacher

   •   Developed a burden for global missions from Scripture

He once hung a homemade world map on the wall of his cobbler shop and prayed over the continents.

When he preached that the church must send missionaries, an elder snapped:

“Young man, sit down.

If God wants to convert the heathen, He will do it without your help or mine.”

In other words:

“Stay on the shore.

Don’t get in the boat.”

But Carey couldn’t.

He heard the same invitation Mary and Joseph heard:

“Trust Me. Come with Me. Step into the unknown.”

He set sail for India in 1793.

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THE JOURNEY THAT ALMOST TOOK HIS LIFE

During the voyage, multiple storms battered the ship.

Winds shredded the sails.

Waves crashed over the deck.

Water poured into the lower cabins.

Passengers screamed in terror.

Carey later wrote:

“I thought the ocean had opened its mouth to devour us.”

But God preserved them.

Carey saw the storm the way Mary and Joseph saw their journey:

If God calls you into the boat,

the waves may terrify you…

but they cannot stop God’s purpose.

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THE MOMENT IN INDIA THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING

When Carey finally arrived in India — exhausted, broke, and unsure of his next step — he witnessed something that changed his entire mission.

He saw a young boy being forced into a sati ritual—

a funeral practice where widows or children were burned alive on the pyre of a deceased relative.

Carey was horrified.

He saw the fear… the hopelessness… the total lack of protection.

He later wrote:

“My whole soul revolted… and I knew I could not remain silent.”

That moment became the turning point of his life.

From that day on:

   •   He fought relentlessly against sati

   •   He opened schools, including for girls

   •   He translated Scripture into multiple Indian languages

   •   He trained pastors

   •   He printed Bibles

   •   He changed laws

   •   He saved lives

One yes.

One moment.

One storm of compassion.

And the world was never the same.

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THE DEVOTION — MORE YESES, MORE WAVES, MORE GOD

Mary and Joseph said yes — over and over.

William Carey said yes — at great cost.

Each yes brought waves.

Each wave brought God closer.

Their lives show us:

Obedience will cost you.

But disobedience will cost you more.

The storm isn’t proof that God left you —

The storm is proof that God is leading you somewhere sacred.

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THREE REFLECTION QUESTIONS FOR TODAY

1. Where is God asking me for “another yes” — even when I feel tired or unprepared?

2. How do Mary and Joseph inspire me to keep walking when the journey is long and the waves rise?

3. What storm am I facing right now that might actually be positioning me for something greater?

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WORSHIP SONG FOR TODAY

“Mary, Did You Know?” — Pentatonix or Mark Lowry

A reminder that every costly yes makes room for God’s miraculous plan.

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PERSONAL PRAYER

Jesus…

Here I am again, standing in front of another yes… another step… another boat… another storm.

I don’t always feel ready.

I don’t always feel strong.

Sometimes I feel like Mary and Joseph — tired, unsure, wishing the timing were different.

But Lord… I still want to say yes to You.

Give me the courage to obey even when the journey feels long.

Give me the faith to trust You when the waves rise suddenly.

Give me the peace to remember that every storm I face is a place where You meet me.

Lord, I don’t want to stay on the shore.

I don’t want to miss what You’re doing.

I don’t want fear to make decisions for me.

So today…

I say yes again.

Yes to Your voice.

Yes to Your leading.

Yes to the next step — even if I can’t see the whole road.

Strengthen me where I feel weak.

Calm the places inside me where the wind is loud.

Teach me to rest, even when You seem silent or asleep in the boat.

And Jesus… draw near.

Let Your presence be the anchor in every wave.

Let Your love steady my heart.

Let Your purpose unfold in my life exactly as You desire.

I trust You.

I worship You.

And I give You my yes — again today.

Amen.