HAVE YOU MADE ROOM FOR CHRIST THIS CHRISTMAS?

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

Luke 2:1-7

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Imagine this for a moment.

The nation you live in is under foreign rule and thus subject to the demands and commands of a foreign leader. You live in a small village named Nazareth and are engaged to a young woman who has miraculously conceived a child, although she was a virgin and had never lain down with any man. It’s all quite a mystery but in two visits by an angel, you both were assured that this was all God’s doing, that He was behind the miracle and a boy would be born who was to be given the name Jesus.

Your fiancée is quite a ways along in her pregnancy and could deliver the child any day now. It would be no time to have to set out and travel anywhere. But then a word comes down from the foreign leader that a census will be taken and everyone was ordered to their town of ancestry to be counted. For you, that is a town called Bethlehem because you are a descendent of David. You cringe at the news and are immediately filled with worry and concern for Bethlehem is 90 miles away from Nazareth, a good ten days travel, and the terrain poses many challenges not to mention dangers. What if the baby comes during the journey? What would they do caught in the wilderness and the elements? Now more than ever, they needed to place their faith and trust in God.

And so you set out for Bethlehem and it was tough. All the miles traveled by day and the restless nights sleeping under the stars exacted a toll on you both, particularly your fiancée as she was in no condition to make such a trip. But you finally make it to Bethlehem and are ready to settle down and finally get a good night’s rest under the shelter and cover of the town’s inn.

There was only one problem. So many people had come into town to register that the inn had no vacancies. You plead with the inn owner to allow you some place to stay, anywhere would be better than where you have had to sleep for the past ten days. He again states that he has no room for you. And so, desperate for anyplace to lay down your heads and rest, you enter a place of shelter where animals are housed. It’s not perfect but it’s at least cover from the weather.

Suddenly, your fiancée begins to go into labor. The baby is coming. This isn’t what you had imagined, that the son conceived by the power of God would be born in such humble circumstances but this is indeed what was happening. She delivered the baby inside that lowly shelter among the animals and after wrapping him in cloths, placed him in one of the animal feeding troughs. He was beautiful no matter where you were, a child given to you by God and born in Bethlehem. Little did you know, he would be the one who would first suffer greatly before saving all of mankind.

There was no room in the inn for Jesus, the Savior of the world. No room for the One who came to be the King of kings and Lord of lords. No vacancy for the very Son of God Himself.

Sadly, in many hearts today, there is no room for Jesus either. Instead of celebrating the true meaning of the season, people will be going through their worldly rituals of sitting near a tree and opening gifts, all while ignoring the greatest gift that God has ever given, a gift that once received continues to selflessly keep on giving while leading you to give likewise. When we make room for Jesus in our hearts, then He comes to dwell there and guide us in Spirit and truth, all the way to God and the eternal promise to live with Him forever. No one can bring you to the Father except the Son, the One who is THE way and THE truth and THE life (John 14:6).

So the question today is simple:

Have you made room for Christ this Christmas?

My prayer is that you have given Jesus the best room possible, the dwelling within your heart, soul, and mind. For then and only then, will He be put at the center of this blessed holiday as He should be for He is the real reason for the season.

Merry CHRISTmas everyone!

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com