Lately I have been meditating on God's love for us. It's rather typical of me since it is the holiday season, but God has been showing me a lot in this. Today He opened my eyes to the fact that the birth of Jesus started it all. Obviously this is not the first time I have realized this. In my 19 years in Sunday school I'm sure some teacher shared this with me, but today God opened my eyes to the realness of it. When God sent us Jesus to be born in the manger he already knew what His own son would experience. He was already broken by the pain and suffering He would cast down on His very own flesh. The beautiful part is that He sent us Jesus anyway. In fact He sent Him for this very purpose. I'm even more blown away when I realize why...for me! For this broken, sinful, disobedient child who from the very beginning was doomed. This helpless lost soul that Abba decided to claim as His. He sent His perfect son for me. I'm overwhelmed by that. Even more overwhelming is that God knew He was sending Jesus for me. He knew the brokenness that I would cause every time I decided to turn of Him and take my own path. He knew every hateful thought and mean word that would come from me. He knew and He sent Jesus anyway. If I can't find my joy in that well I just don't know where I possibly could find joy. Jesus is not only the reason for the season, but He is the reason for everything! What a Savior! What Love! His love is deep and wide. It is overwhelming and unfathomable. In His love I find strength and hope. I find peace and rest, and most of all I find acceptance and joy. In His deep love is where I'm resting these days. In my stress and daily failure I find rest in the arms of the Father and his Redeeming Love. And it all began with that tiny baby in the manger.
While they were there. the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her first born, a son. She wrappend him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. Luke 2:6-7
