The Manger

 

As I stood outside this warm Christmas morn, I hear sirens off in the distance.  My heart began to hurt for all those that are hurting this day of celebration of the birth of a Savior.  I began to pray, for whoever was in need that the sirens were answering, to those that have suffered great loss, to the one hurting because “life is just hard.”  I began to think on the sermons that pastor has preached the last couple of weeks on the manger. 

                He brought out that if you think about a manger, it is in a barn, filled with animals, filled with the slobber from a tongue licking the feed, the stench of the feces, the urine that comes with animals in a stable; yet the King of Glory stepped out of heaven, took on a robe of flesh, came not to the rich man, the finery, but into that filth to redeem mankind.  The Son of God- Emmanuel, God with us.  The Son of man-human in form. The King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The Prince of Peace.  To fulfill the plan of salvation for you and for me that was laid out before the foundation of time.  Came to the filth.  Just like He comes into the filth of our lives.  Today as I am thankful for the Son of God stepping into the filth of my life and redeeming me, I pray for those around me that don’t know about Jesus, those that choose not to allow Him in trying to find peace in things or substance, those that are hurting, those that life is just so very hard.  That they would catch a glimpse of the mighty love of God.  That came into this world, in the filth so that mankind could know that God will meet you in your own personal filth.  To God be the Glory, great things He has done!  

Joh 3:16-17  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  (17)  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.