“She wrapped him in cloths
and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn” (Luke
2:7 NIV).
Have you ever wondered why
there wasn’t any room for Jesus’ parents on the night he was born? After all Jesus was the King of the Jews,
Almighty God, and Prince of Peace. You would think royalty should have been
born in a palace that night and not in a place where all the animals were kept.
He was placed in a manger, a place where the animals ate hay. Mary could have
announced to the inn keeper that she was with child and was carrying the one
who would “save his people from their sins”. (Matthew 1:21 NIV) The angel told
Joseph that their child would be called Immanuel, meaning God with us. (Matthew
1:23) Seems like they could have thrown some weight around to get a four star
hotel by just saying Mary was carrying God’s child, but they did not. It also
seems to me that God could have performed His own miracle by providing a more
suitable place for Jesus to be born, but He did not. Instead, Jesus was born in
a lowly manger. He came to earth to be a servant and later in His ministry
would not even have a house to live in. His whole purpose was to heal the sick,
cast out demons, preach about the Kingdom
of God, and save people
from their sins. God was in control on that night Jesus was born, and knew His
son would be blessed by being born in a manger and raised by parents who were
ordinary people. God had a plan, and Mary and Joseph trusted Him.
So do you have any room
for Jesus in your life? This is a busy time of year. There is so much to do:
buy presents, send Christmas cards, decorate the house, go to parties, have
parties; to name a few. This Christmas take time every day to be alone with Christ
to pray, and reflect on how you can be a true blessing to others this
season. Don’t get so busy with
preparations that you turn into a mean spirited person because you feel
stressed out. If you focus on Jesus and what He wants you to do and act like,
then your life will reflect that love to everyone during this hectic time. If
you pray, Jesus will give you peace and that peace will be passed on to others.
Show Jesus’ love this season to everyone and continue to be a blessing. Make
sure you make room for Jesus in your life and trust Him.
Dear Lord,
This season can become
hectic, and it is really easy to forget that we are to be an example of your
love always. Help us to take time to be still in your presence every day, so
that we can show others your love and your peace. Help us to always make room
for Jesus in our hearts.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
