Dusk Til Dawn: The Promise — Friday
Luke 2:7
And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. (NASB)
Our last nativity detail is one often overlooked: There was “no room in the inn” for the Son of God’s birth.
Wait, that doesn’t make sense. The God of the universe, who created everything, THE most important birth ever… and there’s no room. How can it be?
Sadly, it’s hard to make room for God. We don’t like saying that, but in our modern world, we live at a fast pace and leave no space for God. Our lives leave no margin between moments to make sense of what is happening in our stories. Only sickness, setbacks, and stress seem to ever shake us enough to slow down. When we live at that kind of pace, we lose the ability to appreciate and enjoy.
Every year, for the whole month of December, we think about and talk about Christmas, but how often do we make room for Jesus? I’m not talking about just singing “Silent Night” or attending a Christmas Eve service, but actually stopping to reflect on God putting on flesh and coming to Earth. Instead, we let all the rooms get occupied with gift lists, holiday traditions, decorating houses, and one more Christmas party. All great things. But all secondary things.
I’m not saying, “Don’t do those things.” I love those things! I just want us to consider how quickly gratitude can be sucked out of our hearts by the pace of the holidays.
Just a few weeks ago, we celebrated Thanksgiving—a moment where, at least symbolically, we paused to remember the good things God’s given. Then almost immediately, before the last bit of turkey was eaten, Black Friday and Cyber Monday overshadowed them. The sheer number of ads, emails, and “can’t-miss deals” is overwhelming—each seeking to grab my attention and, with it, my heart. No room for little baby Jesus.
But Jesus’ birth—the event that would literally split human history in two—is too important. The God who knows no before and after entered time and space. The God who knows no boundaries took on the shocking confines and limits of being one of us. We can’t exchange that reality for anything lesser.
So the challenge is to cultivate a gratitude more valuable than the cheapening of this sacred season, to remember a grace you cannot buy online, and to develop a contentment strong enough to resist over-consumption. There may have been no room in the inn at His birth, but making room for Him in your life is still entirely up to you.
Friday’s Reflection
This Sunday as we continue our Christmas series, Dusk Til Dawn, ask God who He’d like you to invite. Even if it messes with holiday traditions or family dinners, who could you share the love of Jesus with? Step out of your comfort zone and generously invite them!
