After arriving in Bethlehem and discovering there was no room in the inn, Mary and Joseph's only option for lodging was a stable. This was most likely a cave-like area where animals were kept at night, protecting them from the elements. It would have smelled like dirty fur and hay. It was unsanitary, unappealing, and thoroughly undesirable as a place to give birth.
"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 2:7
This was the place where Jesus was born, in the most humble circumstances. The King of King's first bed was not a royal cradle but a manger, a feeding trough for the animals.
The stable symbolizes how Jesus is willing to come into any available and offered place or situation. It doesn't have to be fancy or high priced. It doesn't have to be respectable. It doesn't even have to be clean. The presence of Jesus will make it pure and honorable.
The stable became a palace, and the manger became a throne. Their appearances did not change, but His presence made the difference. Jesus is willing to come and dwell in any human heart that is available and offered to Him. Wherever He enters or dwells, He transforms. This truth is the message of Christmas.
Wherever Jesus Enters He Transforms
As you celebrate Christmas this year, offer all to the One who comes to transform your life for His Glory.
Dare to Ask God to make sure every place in your life is available to Him.
CHRISTMAS BIBLE READING PLAN
Christmas is a time to celebrate the greatest gift of all, Jesus. Looking at the story of Christ's anticipated arrival at Christmas reminds us that Jesus came to be the fulfillment of God's promises and faithfulness. All our hopes and prayers are answered in the presence of Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us.
God’s passion for His people can not be extinguished. Do you embody this same passion?