Your Daily Devotional for December 8, 2007

 

December 8,  2007

 

 

No Room in the Inn

by Dr. Paul Chappell

 

 

"And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn."

 

Luke 2:7

 

 

Why did Jesus leave the throne room of Heaven and come to earth as a little baby? Did He come for political purposes or financial reform? Did He come as a great educator? No. He came for one reason—to provide salvation. The Bible says in Luke 19:10, "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost."

 

Luke 2:7 tells us that there was no room in the inn for Jesus—no room for the Saviour of the world! Many people today, like the innkeeper long ago, have no room—no place in their hearts for Jesus. I want to remind you this December morning of God's provision for your salvation and of His providential plan for the redemption of all mankind.

 

Let's look at this humble stable for a moment. Many of the stables were actually limestone caves in the side of a mountain, and in each cave a feeding trough or manger was filled with hay for the animals that grazed in the nearby pastures. On that first Christmas morning, the Messiah was placed into that lowly manger.

 

I believe this symbolizes the availability of our Saviour. He could have been born into a beautiful palace where none of us could have gotten past the front gates. Instead, He was born in such a place that anyone could come to Him. The Lord and Creator of the universe became poor in order to reach us as needy ones.

 

It is interesting that all year long church bells ring, choirs sing, preachers preach, yet many who need Christ turn away. Then as the year draws to a close, Christmas offers its wonderful message: He who resided in Heaven, co-equal and co-eternal with the Father and the Spirit, willingly descended into our world. He breathed our air, felt our pain, knew our sorrows, and died for our sins.

 

Not only is Jesus available, He is also approachable. There were no guards to keep people away; there was no required payment or membership. The rugged, hard-working shepherds came to Him, and later the wealthy and educated wise men. Anyone can come to Him because He is approachable.

 

Someone asked me recently, "Do you know what would have happened if three wise women would have come instead of three wise men? They would have asked for directions, arrived on time, helped deliver the baby, cleaned the stable, made a casserole, brought practical gifts, and there would have been peace on earth!"

 

Men and women, young and old, rich and poor, red, yellow, black, and white—they are all precious in Jesus' sight! He is available to all those who approach Him by faith. To the weary He says, "Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden." To the thirsty He says, "Come unto me and drink."  My friend, Jesus loves you, and He is preparing a place for you in Heaven. Will you make room for Him in your heart today?

 

Daily Bible Reading

Daniel 8-10 • 3 John

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