Devotions….
Luke 2 v 7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a [b]manger because there was no room for them in the inn.
As I was thinking about the Christmas season last week and began reading the book of Luke the journey that Mary and Joseph took to the manger really got me thinking. I knew I needed to stay there a while and let the Holy Spirit minister.
For some years now Christmas was my least favorite time of the year and mainly because my family has been so far apart for a while. Being a mom now and having a toddler I begin to remember how excited I was when it was Christmas time. My parents really went all out especially my mom. If she was not cooking up a storm, taking us shopping she was hosting a party to remember with close friends and as the children we got to play all day with no restrictions to go into the house…what!!! Now that’s Christmas.
In life and throughout the year we go through so many different seasons, people move and relocate, we start new jobs, we lose money, our loved ones pass away, we celebrate at weddings and baby showers and worst of all this year 2020 we had to fight through and continue to navigate our way around the Covid 19 pandemic. Its been a long nightmare for the world at large! This affects our attitudes towards getting up each day. We could get up excited, charged and ready for the next day or we could be depressed and hopeless and wanting to stay in bed and in some cases wish we never have to get up to feel the pain that we will be going through.
Then Christmas time comes, I believe in this moment we consider so much. First of all the year is over. You have lived through a whole 12 months, so much reflection begins to take place. Did I achieve my goals, what mistakes did I make, what can I do better, what am I thankful for?!
In all this reflection the most important being where our relationship with Jesus Christ is today. So you may be wondering what does all this have to do with our theme scripture reading! It has everything to do with it!!!
So let’s talk it out..
When Mary and Joseph needed a place to stay and deliver their precious baby it was nothing short of a challenge. I can only imagine what Mary was going through experiencing labour and riding through town with so much uncertainty. In today’s age we plan ahead for almost everything, we know who our doctor is, where we will give birth, what our birthing place looks like, our bags are packed even two months before we are due in some cases, The first thing that this passage of scripture reveals is that some of life’s major seasons will not go according to plan and the main thing is to keep moving despite the NOs that come at us.
Because there was no room in the inn most of us would already judge the situation to be doomed. Mary and Joseph where offered a manger and I believe that this is we see one of Christ’s core characteristics – humility.
There was no room for Jesus in an inn where there was most likely a comfortable bed, well decorated space and room service that would bring delicious meals from the kitchen. I have heard a lot of people say that a place does not feel like Christmas when it does not have all the lights, trees and ornaments associated with the season and worse of if a spread is not laid out on Christmas day then it is considered just another day.
Even as I type this the conviction is hitting me so hard as I think through the misconceptions that I associated Christmas with. This is what the world would want us to focus on so that our eyes move away from the gift that was born to save our souls, Jesus Christ our Lord.
In order to make room in our hearts to see the impossible ( a child that was born of a virgin), we need to let go off the comfortable “inn’s” we created in our hearts and minds. When we do not see a December we expected to see and be living, when we do not experience a Christmas that we feel is the ultimate standard of what Christmas is all about, we seldom realise that we have everything we need and more and that is Jesus Christ. It certainly is a beautiful thing to be around our loved ones and fellowship together in an exciting way but in the event that this will not happen for you it does not mean that you are not already surrounded my love.
Prayer
Heavenly Father I come before your throne today with a humble heart. I acknowledge that you sent Jesus to be born of a virgin and then die to rise again for the redemption of our souls. May I make room to see Jesus lifted high in each and every situation I may face whether good or bad. I desire to draw closer to you Christ Jesus, help me see the impossible because I know with you all things are possible. In Jesus name I pray, Amen