Daily Devotional For Monday, December 4, 2023

The word of Christmas we are focusing on today is MANGER. The Bible tells us in Luke 2:4-7, “And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, (5) to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. (6) And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. (7) And 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” (ESV).

Why did Jesus have to sleep in a manger? Because the innkeeper missed his opportunity to welcome a miracle into his home. Everybody did. Bethlehem was bursting at the seams with people and noise and activity. The birth of the Messiah was the last thing they expected. 

People had waited for centuries for this and they missed it. The Jewish leaders were too busy debating when and how rather than going and discovering for themselves. Magi show up and upset everyone. They had read the Old Testament Scripture prophecies about this and they believed the new star they saw was announcing the birth of a new king. They assume it is King Herod’s, so they come to him first. This paranoid and insane man is so alarmed he has all the religious leaders awaken and brought to him. He asked them, “Where?” And they quote Micah 5:2 — Bethlehem. 

The amazing thing is neither did King Herod nor the religious leaders go check this out for themselves. Here they a re 5 miles from Bethlehem — it was no secret where Go said the Messiah would be born — Bethlehem. Everyone knew that in that day. Does it surprise you not one religious leader was invited by any angel to this? Just lowly shepherds out on the hills watching their sheep by night. 

Shepherds in that day were considered the lowest of the low — even lower than criminals. They did what the angels said and to the place — notice — they did not have any trouble finding it. They found Jesus in a manger. What exactly is a manger, anyway? A manger is a feeding trough you put oats and grain in to feed your cattle, sheep, and other animals. Not very sanitary compared to out day is it>

And isn’t it just like God to have Jesus — whom the Bible calls the Bread of Life — laid in a feeding trough in the little town of Bethlehem, which means “house of bread?” Amazing, isn’t it? And so profound. The Bread of Life lying in a feeding trough in the House of Bread. Only God could do such a thing.

Think for a minute about the humility of God that we see in the manger. It’s as clear as it could be. Jesus could have come to earth as a conquering king on a war horse with an army of angels trailing behind — with pomp and circumstance and fanfare. But instead, the One who spoke the world into existence humbled himself and became a speechless newborn baby. The One who clothed all of nature in its boundless beauty and order humbled Himself and came to us wrapped in rags, lying in a feeding trough. 

The amazing thing is “swaddling clothes” were how you wrapped a newborn baby as well ass a corpse. This baby came to di. The One who gave the stars their light humbled himself, veiled his own glory, and stepped quietly into the sea of humanity with barely a ripple, unnoticed by everyone except a handful of blue-collar sheep herders. 

You would expect the King to be born in a palace. That’s why the wise men came looking for Jesus in Herod’s mansion in the capital city. But that’s not the way of our King. Jesus comes to us, not in the mansions of life, but in the mangers of life. Not in our moments of glory, but in our seasons of suffering. He meets us in the lowliest places, the least-expected settings, and so often at the most inconvenient times. It’s not at all how we would do it if we were him. 

Yet it’s in these times and places that we are most likely to meet Him. It is in the manger that we first experience the wonder of the incarnation. It is in the manger that we first meet the Prince of Peace. It’s in the manger that we first encounter the Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father. The birthplace of our King is the last place anyone would think to look for Him.

In what area of your life do you need the King to arrive? Will you welcome im if He doesn’t do things your way? Will you worship Him even if your situation looks more like a manger than a mansion? Don’t be too quick to escape the places you are most likely to meet your King. 

During this Christmas season, learn to recognize the humility of God hiding in plain sight amidst the people and noise and activity of your world. Learn to expect the unexpected. The Bible says in Luke 2:4-7, “And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, (5) to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. (6) And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. (7) And 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” (KJV).

Questions to ask yourself:

1. No one bothered to go check this out except the shepherds and the magi. Would the Christ child say you are a seeker of Him? A lot of people are going to miss heaven by 18 inches — that is the length difference between your head and your heart. A lot of people know the story — they just don’t the Savior of the story.
2. We are entering into days we celebrate Jesus Christ’s birthday. So, what are you going to give Him this year? Let’s say you went to a birthday party and everyone brought gifts to give to everyone but the person having the birthday. That would be odd and unkind. You may wonder, “What do you give someone who already has everything?” You give Him what He doesn’t have. You give Him your life, your love and your loyalty. You give Him your time and your thanksgiving. What will be your Christmas gift to Jesus this year?

Verse to Meditate On: Matthew 2:11, “They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh”  (NLT).

Prayer To Prayer: “Dear Jesus, I want to be a seeker of the You and the truth You offer. Help me do that. This Christmas, this is going to be my gift to You [Just say it]. Lord, open my eyes to see what you are doing. Help me not to miss the opportunities to welcome you into my world. May my heart be a manger — a humble place that you can call home. Amen.