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No Place in the Inn

Christmas Eve. Tonight's reading: Luke 2:1-20. If you can, read it all before this devotional, slowly, as if you were hearing it for the first time.

“And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.”

Luke 2:7

Reflection

The Son of God was born in a place that was not prepared for him. Not a palace, not a warm house, but a manger for animals, because there was no room for Joseph and Mary in the inn.

And the first to hear the news of his birth were not the great and powerful, but shepherds keeping watch over their flock by night, ordinary people whom hardly anyone noticed (see Luke 2:8-9). This is how God chose to come: to the cramped place, and to forgotten people.

Perhaps you feel your life is not fit for Christ: a small room, a crowded house, or a troubled heart that is not yet in order. But the one who was born in a manger does not wait for the place to be perfect. He comes to you as you are, and begins with you where you are.

If you cannot celebrate tonight. Christmas Eve may pass while you are unable to celebrate, or to tell anyone what is in your heart. This takes nothing away from your faith, and God knows what you are carrying. The first Christmas itself happened quietly, away from people's eyes, and yet it changed the world. You do not need to celebrate openly in a way that could put you at risk; it is enough to read and to thank God in your heart. And if you would like advice to help you stay careful, read our “Your Safety First” page.

A question to reflect on

Is there a place in your life you think is not fit for Christ? What if you gave it to him tonight, just as it is?

Today's step

If you have not read it yet, read Luke 2:1-20 slowly tonight, then thank God for one thing in this story that touched your heart.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, you were born in a manger because there was no room in the inn. Tonight I give you my heart as it is, with its weariness and its mess. Come and live in it. Thank you for coming to the humble and the forgotten, and for coming to me too. Amen.

Next Step

The next devotional is tomorrow, Christmas Day: “A Saviour Is Born to You Today”.

Scripture quotations are from the English Standard Version (ESV).