Is There Room?

There is no room, was often said.
The couple searched for some soft bed.
Where their long awaited baby’s cry,
Would pierce the silence of the sky.

But the sky rang loud with angels white,
Who announced the birth in dark of night.
To a sleeping town with sleeping hearts,
Unaware of what God would start.

The news that had been long foretold,
By prophets from the days of old.
To bring Good News to those who hear,
Who have the room to keep Him near.

Who are awake and long to tell,
Much louder than any Christmas bell.
That Jesus came to save from sin,
No heart of stone, when He comes in.

The heart with room; the heart with light,
The heart that sees Him in the night.
Their soul’s dark night, that was asleep,
Now knows that He their soul will keep.

No sleeping towns. No sleeping hearts.
New life is theirs that God will start.
There is room, now gladly said.
My heart your home. My heart your bed.

______________________________________________________________

Do you ever think what it must have been like for Joseph and Mary?
Imagine traveling to Bethlehem, by foot and by donkey.
I have delivered five children and I cannot imagine riding a donkey that late in pregnancy.

Only to arrive and find the No Vacancy signs all over Bethlehem.
What if the people knew it was Jesus?
What if the people knew that God’s Son was about to be born?

I would like to think that it would have made a difference, but I’m not so sure!
In the Gospels, we find people walking with Jesus and listening to Him teach.
They are still unchanged.

It is no different with us.
We think, if only I could have walked with Jesus.
If only I could have asked Him questions.
If only I could have heard His answers.

Then what?
His answers would be explained away, without the faith to believe.
Miracles, there’s an explanation for that.
Healings, there’s an explanation for that, too.

Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in His hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe it. A week later His disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then He said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see My hands. Reach out your hand and put it into My side. Stop doubting and believe. Thomas said to Him, “My Lord and My God!” Then Jesus said to him, Because you have seen Me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:24-29)

I have always loved this story of Thomas because it is so real; it is so us.
We want empirical evidence.
Without the eyes of faith, evidence is all we can handle.
Even then, evidence is not enough.

With the eyes of faith, evidence is unnecessary.
As soon as Thomas saw the Lord Jesus, he did not need to put his finger in the nail marks. He did not need to put his hand in Jesus’ side.
All he did was all he could do: worship!

Through the eyes of faith, shepherds heeded the angels’ call and found the Christ child.
Through the eyes of faith, wise men traveled far, following only a star, and found a King.
Through the eyes of faith, we believe.
This baby, wrapped in cloths, lying in a cattle trough, is the Savior of the world.

It is a totally absurd story, without the eyes of faith.
Without faith, there is no room.

No room for Him in our hearts.
No room for Him in our homes.
No room for Him in our schools.
No room for Him in our country.

No room!

Through the eyes of faith, there is abundant room!
There is room to spare.
There is room to bring more people in!
Unless we make room for HIM first, nothing else matters.

Take down the No Vacancy sign!
Pray for the eyes of faith to believe that the child in the manger is indeed the Son of God.
By faith, be the innkeeper of your heart and let Him in!
O come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.