Make Room for Jesus - Girlfriends in God - November 27, 2014
November 27, 2014
Make Room for Jesus
Mary Southerland
Today’s Truth
For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son (John 3:16, NIV).
Friend to Friend
I make room for things that are important to me.
I eat two or three meals every day and sleep several hours each night no matter how long my “to do” list is.
I will choose to play with a grandchild over cleaning the house any day of the week.
I manage to find a place for that great piece of furniture I don’t really need – but really like. After all, it was on sale.
I will meet a friend for coffee instead of running errands.
And there is always room for chocolate!
Silly examples – right?
I wonder.
I wonder what the innkeeper thought as he turned away the young man and his very pregnant wife that holy night so long ago. He had no room – it was that simple.
Do we?
The Christmas season is almost here. Our calendars are already full, our bank accounts are closing in on empty, and our hearts and lives are crowded with things we deem important.
But have we made room for Jesus?
I simply cannot imagine a world without the presence of God and yet … I often live my life as if He does not exist.
A crisis hits, and I try to handle it on my own.
I don’t understand the trials in my life while those who could care less about God seem to prosper.
Instead of reaching out to Him, I withdraw.
Financial stress fuels worry.
Instead of turning to God, I rely on what I can see and understand.
I settle.
When I do cry out to God, He lovingly fills each dark corner with Light. His love flows over the pain like soothing balm. I am once again drawn to the manger. Once again, Jesus Christ steps into the smelly, unlikely and very ordinary existence that is mine and changes everything – absolutely everything!
Jesus could have come to us in many ways. The simplicity of His birth is extraordinary and sometimes hard to grasp. Jesus could have been born in a mansion. He was, after all, a King. Instead, He came to a dirty smelly manger, and His birth was announced by common shepherds instead of Kings - the greatest of all miracles in the midst of total simplicity.
Today, Jesus still wants to meet us in the midst of our simple daily lives. It seems too easy and too good to be true, doesn’t it?
It was Christmas Eve, and the family was preparing to attend the special service of their local church. Everyone was going except Dad, who was an honest man, a man who could not seem to wrap his logical mind around the story of God come to earth as a baby in a manger. He didn’t want to be a hypocrite, pretending to worship a Savior he wasn’t sure even existed. He stayed home, built a fire to dispel the bitter cold of that winter night, and began to read the paper while waiting for his family’s return.
Hearing a knock at the window, the man turned to see a tiny bird trying to reach the warmth of the fire. He opened the window, but the bird refused to come in. Grabbing his coat, the man raced out to the barn and opened the barn doors wide – but still, the bird refused to come in.
The man thought, “If only I could be a bird, for just one minute, I could lead the bird to safety.” At that moment, he heard the church bells ring and finally understood why Jesus came to earth as a man - to become one of us and lead us to eternal safety.
The very heart of Christmas is Emanuel, God with us – with me – and with you.
Christmas is not a date on a calendar. Christmas is a way of life that celebrates the presence of God in the simple, ordinary happenings of daily life:
… the smile we give the harried stranger
… the patience we offer in the crowd of impatient shoppers
… the love that prompts the secret gift
… the heart that constantly celebrates His birth through every sparkling light, every beautifully wrapped gift,
every special meal, card, phone call, and visit.
God is with us – if we choose to make room for Him.
Let’s Pray
Father, today I celebrate the reality of Your presence in my life. Thank You for sending Your Son to earth. I revel in the birth of Jesus and the gift of life He bought. I choose to receive Your gift of love and forgiveness for my sins. I now surrender everything I am or ever hope to be to You. Please take control of my life and direct my paths. I promise to follow.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
Read John 3:16 once a day this week. Look for specific ways to share God’s love with others. Share how you are making room for Jesus in your life. Email me or post your thoughts on my Facebook page. I love hearing what God is doing in your life!
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