Christmas is a wonderful time of the year. There are presents to buy, yummy foods to cook and eat, Christmas carols and concerts and so on. Sometimes, I wonder whether I am too busy running around doing things when I should be remembering and thanking Jesus for all He is and all He has done for me. Christmas is a happy time but in the Christmas story, there is also a sad story of many who missed out because they were too busy.
Let’s look at the story in Luke chapter 2 in the first few verses. Joseph was engaged to Mary but before they could be married, Mary was found to be pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. Just before Jesus was to be born, they were required to go to Bethlehem to register for the census. While they were there Jesus was born in a manger because there was no lodging available for them. To me, that is so sad.
Nobody in Bethlehem even had a room for Jesus to be born in. Can you imagine how frantic this must have been for Joseph? Mary desperately needed a bed and he went to all the innkeepers but they all turned him away. Finally, one of them said, the only place we have available is the stable, probably thinking they wouldn’t be interested. But Joseph was interested in any shelter so he took it. I wonder if those innkeepers knew that the Son of God was about to be born, would they still have turned them away. Probably not! It was only the wise men that knew that a King had been born.
So the King of Kings, Jesus, was not born in a palace or even just a humble room but a stable full of animals. What a place to be born! The Shepherd was born with the sheep. Mayb this was God’s plan all along.
This Christmas don’t get so busy that you have no room in your life or in your heart for Jesus. He wants to be your everything this Christmas – your hope, your love, your peace and your joy. Don’t turn Him away like those innkeepers did. Embrace Him and remember that without Jesus there would be no Christmas. Have a blessed and merry Christmas!
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