Away in a MANGER!

Luke 2:7

"And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn."

Dictionary.com defines MANGER as:

manger

noun

1. a box or trough in a stable or barn from which horses or cattle eat.

While growing up, my grandfather had a barn that had six "stalls" in it.  The "stalls" were where the animals were fed, milked, medicated and generally taken care of.   The cows, horses, and even some pigs, were afforded a place to be tended to. 

The King of Glory left HIS throne in a glorious heaven to come to earth and be born in a manger!  Can you even FATHOM Bill Gates letting his wife have his firstborn son in my grandfather's barn?  Or say, one of Sam Walton's grandchildren being born with livestock near by?

Yet GOD chose to make HIS earthly entrance in the lowliest of settings!  Could it be that this was done to set an example to me that I have to allow myself to "be abased" to come to HIM?  JESUS says in Matthew 18:1-4 "At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,  And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven."

GOD desperately wants us to come to HIM.   But we have to do it on HIS terms.   I have to come to HIM as a babe in a cattle feeding trough, with no ability to walk, talk, feed, drink, no ability to do anything but love and be loved!   

FAITH is believing the unbelievable. It is hard to believe that THE CREATOR loves me enough to allow HIS only SON to be my sacrifice.   I am so thankful HE did!  

I remember when my first child was born.  He had no means of livelihood, yet he was loved with ALL of my heart!!  GOD loves us even more!   The only way I could get to HEAVEN was for HIM to send JESUS to conquer sin.  And HE chose to do that in the setting of a manger!