Luke 2:6-7 New King James Version
6 So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a [a]manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
The time had come for Mary to give birth to her first child.
Husband Joseph goes from place to place to find warmth and comfort.
All Joseph hears is: “I am sorry but …!”
Place after place – rejection even for a pregnant teen mother about to give birth.
Let the words of these constant rejections come in direct contact with your soul:
“Sorry …”
“No room for them.”
“Sorry again …”
“No vacancy.”
“Nope! Don’t tell me, I know … I heard it before … but Sorry …”
“No place – no not none.”
Words when seriously considered, still seem to hang close, cold, cruel, today.
Makes my soul just bristle with anger-does no one care enough about this child.
Surely, not in our caring and compassion driven healthcare systems would the sound of such words ever be heard or if they were heard they’d not be tolerated!
No room in anyone’s heart to offer mercy, a place to stay – to save a life or two?
In our divided chaotic world that seeks to crowd the message of the child Jesus out, where busyness and distractions abound, and hearts are stirred to focus on other fear focused things, it can be hard sometimes to choose to keep Him first.
Why is it for us that it’s all too easy to get caught up in the whole hurried dash of the holidays, and not give our fullest attention to what seems more urgent?
Too many of us, focus gets blurred; and the most important gets pushed aside.
There is too much of that attitude – “Sorry, not today, but no room in my Inn.”
It takes an active, daily choice to put Christ first, especially in a culture that says you’re too busy to focus there. Or that life is too full. And there’s no more room.
I sit and pray a whole lot now that I have had my Triple Bypass Heart Surgery.
Proverbs 4:23 New American Standard Bible
23 Watch over your heart with all diligence,
For from it flow the springs of life.
Proverbs 4:23-27 The Message
23-27 Keep vigilant watch over your heart;
that’s where life starts.
Don’t talk out of both sides of your mouth;
avoid careless banter, white lies, and gossip.
Keep your eyes straight ahead;
ignore all sideshow distractions.
Watch your step,
and the road will stretch out smooth before you.
Look neither right nor left;
leave evil in the dust.
The proverb writer is deeply concerned about helping his children build a wise and discerning life. “Listen,” he pleads, “pay attention to what I’m saying.”
“Make room for God – Maximize all spaces within your soul => solely for God!”
Throughout the early chapters of the book of Proverbs we find one plea after another from author King Solomon who the wisest man to ever live, like this.
And in Proverbs 4:23 the writer points out the central issue in all this teaching.
“Above all else,” the writer says, “guard your heart.” In other words, “Look inside – less room for sin and maximum room for God who is our salvation.”
Be concerned about your inner life before you build your external life.
After all, your heart, your inner life, ‘is the very wellspring of life.’ Your heart shapes who you are.” More room for darkness means far more room for chaos.
Jesus taught this truth also. He said that a person produces good things when that person has a good heart— that is, a heart focused on living for God.
But if a person has room for only an evil heart, a sin darkened heart closed off to God, that will show up inside the evil things that person does. (See Luke 6:45.)
Let’s simply talk about what’s inside. After all, it would be a wasted effort to try building a way of life (on the outside) if the heart wasn’t healthy (on the inside).
We can hardly go through any Christmas season without at least receiving one reminder that the infant Jesus was born in much less than ideal circumstances.
Christmas cards often have scenes of a stable filled with animals, while Mary and Joseph both look lovingly into a manger, where the baby Jesus is lying.
While many written and cinematic portrayals of this one scene aim for a warm, sweet, nostalgic approach, the birth of Jesus was far from a pleasant experience.
But remember how it began -forced to travel to Bethlehem for a Roman census, Mary and Joseph were repeatedly rejected, found no comfortable place to stay.
So Joseph had to go from place to place, each less savory, healthy, and Mary gave birth in a cold, dirty stable and used the animals’ feedbox for Jesus’ crib.
What irony! Repeated rejections, no room was available here for the birth of our Savior who had in truth came to prepare a place for us in heaven (John 14:1-3).
John 14:1-3 English Standard Version
I Am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life
14 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God;[a] believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?[b] 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.
Everyday life has plenty of room its own ironies too.
For example, people were created to live in community and enjoy each other’s friendship.
The sheer chaos and havoc that sin has wreaked in this world often breaks down that sense of community and friendship, leaving far, far too many of us feeling as though there’s never going to be no place where we can actually feel at home.
The infant Jesus was born into a place that was hostile to the presence of God.
But, thanks be to God, the infant became a man who made room in His heart for all of God’s Children of all coming generations-made room, changed the world.
Throughout his entire ministry here, Jesus called people to Himself, where those who felt homeless, lost, lonely, and unwelcome could find a place where they experienced the warmth of being at home in the presence of the Lord.
May God help us to choose wisely, what room we make for whom, what voices we choose to listen to, and in Jesus’ name, where we give our attention today.
He is the only One who makes room, who brings true meaning to Christmas.
He is the only One who brings real peace in this all-too-often hectic season.
He is the only One worthy of making room for, giving our maximum time and attention, listen for God, we slow down the maddening rush around our lives.
We can make more room for God, we can know all of this in our heads, but may He help us to really believe it in our hearts…and choose to live it out this season.
Reminded.
Renewed.
Refreshed.
Repenting.
Believing the Good News.
That the Kingdom of God has, in maximum truth, Come Near.
And He will surely and certainly, as promised, come again!
Standing on the Promises of Christ our King and our Savior!
Making maximum effort to clear out maximum room for Him alone, first.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
ABBA Father, Help us to keep our focus first on Christ this season. Please forgive us for giving too much time and attention on other things. Help us to reflect again, on what Christmas is really all about. Thank you that you came to give new life, peace, hope, and joy, that you came to make room in our eternal darkness for your Son.
Help us to repent, make room for Him, remember that the gift of Christ, Immanuel, is our greatest treasure, not just at Christmas, but for the whole year through. Fill us with your joy and the peace of your Spirit. Direct our hearts and minds towards you. Thank you for your reminder that both in seasons of celebration and in seasons of brokenness, you’re still with us. For you never leave us. Thank you for your daily powerful Presence in our lives, that we can be assured your heart is towards us, your eyes are over us, and your ears are open to our prayers. Thank you that you surround us with favor as with a shield, and we are safe in your care. We choose to press in close to you today…and keep you first in our hearts and lives. In Immanuel‘s Name,
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 