Issue 696 – No Room – March 27, 2022
Let’s open this morning with a familiar passage of Scripture.
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. Luke 2:1-7
We can imagine the hardships of travelling several days (perhaps while riding on a donkey) while due to give birth at any time. Maybe we can’t quite imagine it, but any woman I have talked to who has had children has emphatically told me it was not a journey she would have liked to make.
To top it off, there is the frustration of finding no place to stay. On more than one occasion, Kathy and I have been on the road and needed to stop for a rest, only to find no available hotel rooms. Sleeping in the car on the side of the road beats sleeping outside, hands down on a cold night. I cannot imagine giving birth in one, although that is not uncommon today.
While being born in a stable points us to the depths our Lord was willing to go to bring us salvation, I believe it is also symbolic of the state of people’s hearts. Most people have no room in their hearts for God, whether He is an infant or ruler of the entire universe.
We don’t want Him around. Believing there is a God means that we must also accept that we are accountable to someone else. Knowing there is a God means that there are rules and a right way and a wrong way to do things. It means that we are not self-sufficient gods at the centre of our own universe. That hits right at the heart of our self-centred rebellion. People do not want to think about the ramifications of these things.
The people of the darkness prefer the dark. They do not want what is done in the dark revealed in the light. That means keeping God away. It means leaving no room for Him. Instead of opening their hearts to the saving mercy of Jesus, they prefer their sin and fill their hearts with everything but Him.
… this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. John 3:19
Many Christians seem to want just enough Jesus to stay out of hell. We keep Him crowded in a tiny corner somewhere in the back of our hearts. We hide Him in our own stable. Close enough to get to in the event of an emergency but not so close that we have to think about Him or walk in obedience to Him.
While only God can judge a person’s heart, I think many people with Jesus kept in the stable at the rearmost corner of their heart may well be in for a rude awakening come Judgment Day. He may well say “I never knew you” to them.
Please don’t risk it. Bring Jesus in from the stable and give Him free rein in your life. You’ll never regret it.
Allow Him to work, and He will bless you in ways you cannot begin to imagine.
Until next time, may there be room for Jesus.
Hallelu Yah (Praise God)
Be blessed.
Kevin.
Gleanings From The Word.
Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life.
Soli Deo Gloria (for the glory of God alone.)
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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the English Standard Version (ESV). Spelling modified to Canadian English as required.
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