Look to the Manger

"And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger." (Luke 2:12)

What a strange place to stash a priceless, extravagant Gift — a barn, an animal stall in the dark of night! I’m sure it wasn’t heated or air conditioned, it didn’t smell so good, and there were no beds, linens, or even a bathroom. And how do you think Mary and Joseph felt when the promises of God led them on a long journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem in the ninth month of her strange and inexplicable pregnancy? Yet the fulfillment of all God’s promises could not be found in the palaces, treasuries, or museums of the world -- but in a manger. Look to the manger.   

 

If God wanted the world to receive the Gift of Jesus Christ, why would He hide Him where most of us were sure not to find Him? And how do we find our way there? The manger can only be found by students of the Word following the ways of God, and when we seek Him with all our hearts, we will find Him! When we finally recognize Him as He truly is (and not how we want Him to be), we discover He was guiding us all along -- guiding us by our faith. Faith always seeks Jesus and leads us to the humble, hidden, obscure depths of intimacy with Him. Seek and you will find. Look to the manger.

 

Let's Pray - Father, thank you for leading us by faith and bringing us to the feet of Jesus Christ. That is the most high place, and that is where we belong. Amen.