Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.

~Luke 2:8-12 NIV

I love this time of year when we can celebrate that God made a way in a manger. 

We start with the beautiful season of giving thanks, crisp night air, and the crunch of brilliant leaves. Then, this gives way to the twinkling of lights, fragrant boughs, beautifully wrapped packages, and mugs of hot cocoa on frosty mornings.

Therefore, if we are not careful, all this could easily shift the birth of the Savior to a second-rate position. With the noise, hustle, and hurry of the secular, the profound message of the nativity can be lost in its silence.

In the dark of night, the birth of the prophesied Messiah, the Savior of the world, was announced to lowly shepherds. They, then, found the Christ child in humble surroundings, far from the pomp and ceremony befitting a king.

As the animals looked on the feeding trough, the Bread of Life Himself—the divine offering to satisfy hungry souls–rested on a throne of hay. He took upon Himself the lowest place. In a dark and desperate time, the Father made a way in a manger to reconcile us to Himself.

The angels heard good news, and the news is good for us, too. The darkness of our circumstances does not consume the light of His love for us. Under a tapestry of brilliant stars and amid soft bleats and the rustle of angel wings, the King of the universe bent His knee and came to earth.

Although the earth is God’s footstool, He can still reach down and lift us from our boggy mire. He sees us in our difficulties—the dark recesses of desperation. In compassion and gentleness, He reaches out nail-scarred hands to receive us to Himself.

Don’t wait until your room is clean and your house is in order. He is familiar with the accommodations of humble resorts. Welcome His presence into your lack so that your circumstances might become a manger to receive Him.

The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel—which means, “God with us.”

~Matthew 1:23 NIV

Share ways you honor Jesus during the Christmas season.

Father, thank You that the birth of the Savior was announced to shepherds before kings. You set aside the majesty of Heaven to live in extraordinary meekness among the common. So, I welcome You to reign in my lowly places. Bring the miracle of new life to what appears hopeless. Thank You that the miracle in Bethlehem foreshadowed the miracle of Your presence, offered to everyone. Thank You for the gift of Jesus who is my Daily Bread. I offer You all that I am and all that I have. Take the throne of my heart and make a way in my manger. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Genre: Non-fiction

Copyright 2019: A Way in a Manger: Julie Souza Bradley Lilly: All Rights Reserved