Day 3: Welcome to Our World

by Dec 3, 2020Christmas 2020, Devotional, Songs of Christmas

Tears are falling, hearts are breaking
How we need to hear from God
You’ve been promised, we’ve been waiting
Welcome Holy Child

Hope that You don’t mind our manger
How I wish we could have known
But long-awaited Holy Stranger
Make Yourself at home
Please make Yourself at home

Bring Your peace into our violence
Bid our hungry souls be filled
Word now breaking Heaven’s silence
Welcome to our world

Fragile finger sent to heal us
Tender brow prepared for thorn
Tiny heart whose blood will save us
Unto us is born

So wrap our injured flesh around You
Breathe our air and walk our sod
Rob our sins and make us holy
Perfect Son of God

Have you ever wished you could be someone else for a day? We got a puppy a few months ago and I’d love to crawl inside her brain for a few hours, just to see what she is thinking when she stares at us so intently. (Spoiler alert, it’s probably food.)

The appeal of becoming someone else for a time is a popular theme in fiction. Think of Cinderella, The Prince and the Pauper and The Parent Trap, where the protagonist either trades places with another or transforms into a different version of themselves. Most of the time, the result is a deeper understanding or a betterment of circumstances.

When Jesus was born, He chose to exchange His holy divinity for our humble humanity. He most certainly did not improve his circumstances; in fact, He willingly took on the limitations and pain of our human experience. He experienced hunger, exhaustion, betrayal, suffering, grief and all forms of temptation.

It’s a miracle that never fails to amaze. The all-powerful God of the Universe chose to become a fragile, frail human being. This astounding reality is eloquently captured in today’s carol by Michael W. Smith.

Fragile finger sent to heal us
Tender brow prepared for thorn
Tiny heart whose blood will save us
Unto us is born

So wrap our injured flesh around You
Breathe our air and walk our sod
Rob our sins and make us holy
Perfect Son of God
Welcome to our world

It’s hard to wrap my head around the enormity of the Divine Word becoming feeble flesh. But the reason He did so is even more astounding – Love.

Because He loves you, because He loves me, He traded His glory to become human, to become Immanuel. To become God With Us in a way that had never before happened. He traded the glory of heaven for a dark stable. Traded all power and majesty to become a helpless infant, growing into a boy and then a man who lived and walked among us. In the end, He made the most amazing trade of all, ultimately taking our sin upon Himself and trading places with us on the cross. All because of love. Thank you, Jesus.

Day 16: Silent Night

Silent night, holy night All is calm, all is bright 'Round yon virgin Mother and Child Holy infant so tender and mild Sleep in heavenly peace   Silent night, holy night! Shepherds quake at the sight! Glories stream from heaven afar; Heavenly hosts sing Al-le-lu-ia!...