Joy! to Your World! A Countdown to ChristmasMfano

Bible historians believe that there may have been as many as 1 million visitors slogging the streets of this small city named “Bethlehem”. What would happen if 1 million people invaded your town? What would that do to the traffic patterns? Or the lines at the mall? Or to the already overcrowded hotels? We have never experienced “busy” compared to Bethlehem on this momentous night. There were donkeys braying and vendors shouting; there was a cavalcade of camels, people, tax collectors and city officials pushing and shoving their way through the dusty streets of Bethlehem. There was the odor of manure and the smell of cramped and sweating bodies on every corner of every street. People’s nerves were taut, their pocketbooks were empty and they were all fed up with a greedy government! It was a mass of humanity who didn’t know where they were or how to get to where they needed to go. Sounds a lot like the 21st Century, doesn’t it?! God chose this moment of chaos and confusion ... of frayed nerves and economic failure ... as the birthplace of His Son. God chose to invade the traffic jams of humanity with His little Boy. We have allowed our lives to become as chaotic, confusing and out of control as any city, in any part of the world, at any time in history. The beauty of Christmas is that His presence changed the purpose of the busy-ness! God desired to neutralize our expensive way of living and so He sent the Prince of Peace. God knew that we would need an answer for our stress-induced meltdowns and so He sent heaven’s Darling to be our answer. In the midst of humanity and endless voices, a Savior was born. My prayer is that this year, in the middle of your overly active life, you will have time to gaze in wonder at the Baby in the manger. Don’t miss the divine appointments of Christmas because you are so wrapped up in the temporary aspects of the season! The glory of Christmas is the miracle of His presence ... a baby lying in a manger.