"There was no room for them in the inn." -- Luke 2:7
God made man upright, but man sought out many inventions. While the inventions of man
in communication, transportation and other areas of human endeavor have brought about many
blessings, there is a "down" side to all of these things.
In Genesis 4, we read of three of Cain’s seed. We read of him that he was of that
wicked one (the devil) and "killed his own brother." His seed followed in
the direction Cain took (he went out from the presence of the Lord).
One of his descendants, Jabal, was the "father of such as dwell in tents, and
of such as have cattle." He concerned himself with the interests of the body—food,
shelter and clothing.
His brother, Jubal, was the "father of all such as handle the harp and
organ." He concentrated on things that appeal to the soul of man. You
can’t eat or wear music, but it has a tremendous influence on you. A modern writer
has declared that music is more influential on the soul of a nation than TV, and music
plays a big part on TV!
The third son, Tubalcain, was "an instructer of every artificer in brass and
iron." He was concerned with the spirit—the inventions of man.
Today, we are raised with a superabundance of information in this age of communication.
The many voices crying out for attention have tended to squeeze out the voice of God. He
still speaks in a still, small voice, but we have no time to listen. His voice is squeezed
out of schools, out of public life, out of even church life, where human philosophies are
brought in to substitute for the Word of God.
In his book "Peace In the Valley," Vance Havner relates that he owed his life
and ministry to two books—the Bible and a book about birds—God’s revelation
and creation.
Christ is virtually excluded from Christmas, where the day is devoted to revelry, with
little mention of His coming and why He came. There is no room for Him at Easter. The one
day He has asked us to remember—His death day—gets scarcely any mention.
Nowhere in the Bible are we told by the Lord or anyone else to remember Christmas, Easter
or Pentecost.
Christmas is all so pretty and nice, when we dream of a white Christmas and celebrate
by exchanging gifts, lavishing all sorts of blessings on ourselves, forgetting that it was
our sins that brought Him here and that cost Him His life to redeem us.
"There was no room for them in the inn." He did not come dressed in
royal regalia. By choice, He came into the home of poor people. He did not come as a
full-grown Man, but as a little baby on his mother’s breast. While Mary was holding
Him up, He was upholding the world by the word of His power!
He was rejected from His birth, when Herod sought to kill Him. He was rejected
throughout His life. Wrapped in swaddling clothes, He was laid in a manger (cave). His
birth was a picture of His death, for He came forth from a virgin womb at His birth and,
after His death, wrapped in grave clothes, He came forth from a virgin tomb, in which no
man had ever lain.
There was no room for Him on earth, but the rejected Christ was exalted to heaven.
There He had room to receive every repentant sinner, as He did that repentant thief on the
cross: "Verily, I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with Me in paradise!"
No room for the Baby at Bethlehem’s inn;
Only a cattleshed;
No room on this earth for the dear Son of God;
Nowhere to lay His head.
Only a cross did they give to our Lord,
Only a borrowed tomb;
Today He is seeking a place in your heart;
Will you still say to Him, "No room?"
Another year has almost passed. Have we not often been convicted by how
little time and place we have given to Him? We have time for pleasure, time for business,
but for Christ, the crucified, not a place where He can enter, in the heart for which He
died.
Time for prayer, time for the Word, time for witness, but how much time?
This world has the squeeze on us. The apostle appeals to us in Romans 12:1-2 to not let
the world force us into its mold. The god of this age is working to squeeze every
semblance of life from the believer. We are being choked to death.
When I reached the age of 70, a 92-years-old brother said to me, "From 70 on,
it’s down-hill all the way!" I don’t believe it. It’s "up-hill
all the way!" The Christian life is both a surrender and a struggle. The world, the
flesh and the devil are arrayed against the believer in a life-and-death struggle.
"Finding, following, keeping, struggling,
Is He sure to bless?
Saints, apostles,
prophets, martyrs answer ‘YES!’"
By God’s grace, let us resolve in 1996 to yield ourselves unreservedly into His
hands and say from our hearts:
"O Lord, in my heart there’s a welcome for Thee;
Gladly I now would say,
‘Come in, blessed Saviour, my heart and my life
Henceforth
would own Thy sway.’"
There is no vacancy when He enters in, for He fills the
heart to overflowing.
THE COMING KING
Thou art coming, mighty Saviour!
"King of kings," Thy written Name;
Thou art coming, royal Saviour!
Coming for Thy promised reign.
Oh, the joy when sin’s confusion
Ends beneath Thy righteous sway;
Oh, the peace when all delusion
At Thy presence dies away!
Thou art coming, loving Saviour!
Coming first to claim Thine own.
Thou art coming, faithful Saviour!
Thou would’st not abide alone.
In Thy Father’s house in glory,
Sinners saved shall dwell with Thee;
Oh, the sweetness of the story!
Love’s own record we shall be.
Once Thy coming, holy Saviour,
Brought Thee to the sinner’s place!
Wondrous coming—lowly Saviour,
Wonderful Thy love, Thy grace!
Thine the wisdom in the manger,
Thine the power upon the cross;
Thine the glory—as the stranger;
Riches,—though in utter loss!
Thou art coming, crowned Saviour!
Not "the second time" for sin;
Thou art coming, throne`d Saviour,
Bringing all the glory in.
All Thy Father’s house, its glory,
Hangs, by sure behest, on Thee;
Oh, the sweetness of the story!
Saviour, come! We wait for Thee!
... Hannah K. Burlingham