Advent Calendar - Day 8

In The Fullness of Time

Wednesday, the second week of Advent

 

Today’s Readings: Psalms 11*23-26 / Daniel 2:44 / Luke 6-7

 

There are many life lessons that can be derived from our small but most important section of our look at the first Christmas.  Luke 1:26 in the American Standard Version states that “while they were there, the days were fulfilled…”  God’s perfect timing had come.  That which had been prophesied throughout the previous ages was actually happening on that wonderful night over 2000 years ago.  The anxious moments that Joseph and Mary went through finally came to a sweet conclusion as the baby Jesus was born in the stable of an inn.

How appropriate that the King of Kings was born in that lowly place, and then laid in a manger for His introduction to the world.  What is an inn but a place where temporary sojourners in a land stay as they are passing through while they complete their immediate responsibilities?  Jesus was manifest as a man for only a short and temporary time so that He could complete the greatest deed ever known to mankind.  He was to live His abbreviated stay on this earth as a sinless man so that He could suffer and die in our place, for our sins as the full and total payment to legally free us from the domain of darkness that had ruled mankind since the original sin in the Garden of Eden.

An inn is also an establishment that receives all who come into its abode, as is the same with Christ.  I believe that God had it planned all along that the Holy Family stay in the relative quiet and privacy of the stable so that they could humbly receive those who would come that night in awe and in worship to their newborn king!

When Joseph and Mary arrived with every intention of staying at the inn, they discovered that there was no room left vacant.  This is similar to those who know of and may even desire to come to know Jesus as their Lord, but never make room for Him to come into the inn of their hearts.  Then there are those of us who have received Him as our Savior and have every intention of making Him to be Lord, but as with the others, never make room for him to abide in a preeminent position in our will and with the daily activities of our busy lives.

Our loving heavenly Father greatly desires that the days be fulfilled in us where His perfect plan for our lives can come into fruition.  Let this season of giving be the time where you give yourselves totally to Him so that He can have a preeminent hand in the events ahead.  Just as He worked out all the details and took loving care of Joseph, Mary and the baby, He will do the same for you!  Then you can shout like the Psalmist did when he exclaimed “This is the Lord’s doing (and); it is marvellous in our eyes!” (Psalm 118:23 KJV)  Have a terrific day!  Stay in tune to His Word, and keep asking yourself… “What GOOD REPORTS am I expecting today?”