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December 21
Majesty In A Manger by Greg Sykes
Oh, what mystery, oh, what a love
From heaven to Bethlehem, lavished on us
All who are searching come follow the star
There in the stable the hope of our hearts
Come and see
Christ the King
His Majesty in a manger
Come adore
Christ the Lord
His Majesty in a manger
His Majesty in a manger
He is our ransom and He is our song
Bow down before Him, Messiah has come
All of our longing and all of our fear
Silenced forever, for Jesus is here
Oh come let us adore Him
The Son of God is here
The Promised One, Messiah
The Son of God is here
He is here
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Today’s Devotion
From the moment that Adam and Eve hid their shame in the Garden, humanity has traveled through the ages with the question, “Where is God?”
Indeed, for many of us, who have struggled to see the good and purpose in difficult times, we also may have wondered where God waits in the midst of our trial.
The ancient Jewish people also deeply contemplated the question of where God was, and what God was doing. At the time of Jesus’ birth, the lands of the Jewish people had been conquered repeatedly for centuries by rival empires that surrounded them on all sides. The Persians and Babylonians came from the north, then later the Macedonians from the west. Afterwards, factions of the Macedonians, the Ptolemaics from the south and Seleucids from the east, lobbied for control of their land. Afterward Jewish people were then able to obtain a brief 80 year period of independence, but then, only decades before Christ’s birth, the most fearsome empire of all, the Romans, arrived from the West.
Throughout the suffering, turmoil and devastation of their lands, culture, and even their Temple, the Jewish people hoped for and looked to a Messiah, a new kind of king to relieve them of their torment and establish an unconquerable reign of rule and peace.
During much of the turbulent history leading to the birth of Jesus, the Jewish people looked for God’s presence and movement, wondering when God would bring forth this Messiah. The ministry of John The Baptist generated much buzz and excitement in the nation, as the anticipation of the return of prophecy and God’s proclamation to the people.
So when Jesus arrived, proclaiming the message, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven has drawn near” (Matthew 4:17), there was not an overwhelming response throughout the nation recognizing Jesus as the Messiah – the long awaited presence of God.
A humble servant. Healing, teaching, loving, showing compassion to the sinner and foreigner alike. Jesus was not the crusading Messiah expected to vanquish the Romans. And many continued to wonder, “Where Is God?”
God is all around us. Christ ushered his Kingdom into the realm of sin around us. The Spirit resides throughout us and our land. And yet, so many still continue to wonder, “Where is God?”
The problem is never that God has vanished or disappeared. God doesn’t withdraw from us, although God will permit us to feel that way for our own good and growth. No, we’re always the one who fails to see God, or refuses to recognize God as he is, and what he shows us.
God is here. The Son of God has come. The Messiah has arrived. That’s what Christmas represents. The question is simply if we will see and recognize him for who he is and what he is doing around us.
Prayer
God,
Help me to become more aware of your presence always with me, whether I can feel you or not. My life would be drastically different if I could only remember you are with me always. Thank you for your presence and thank you for everything you have done to make this reality possible. Amen.
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