Oakwood Church Fresh Start Women's Devotional Encouragement for Today Hartland Delafield

Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room
By Karen D’Amore

“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.”
Luke 2:7 NASB

It was not an ideal time for a road trip, let’s just say. A census requiring people to return to their city of origin forced a pregnant Mary and Joseph to travel to Bethlehem. Floundering in the overcrowded city, they faced a harsh reality…there was no room in the inn. Accommodations in a dingy stable were the best a Scripture-implied Innkeeper could offer. And so, the Savior of the World was born in a dark, stinky stable. Wrapping Him snug in common rag strips, Mary laid him to sleep in an animal feeding trough.

Would the Innkeeper have made room in the inn had he/she known whom Mary was carrying in her womb? Would there have been room in the inn for the Messiah, the Son of God, King of the Jews? One can only speculate!

The Jews were looking for a royal King, not a baby born of a poor virgin. They had no room in their head or hearts for this kind of king. A handful of people saw the star, heard the angels voices, and came that night to welcome Jesus into the world. Taking the angelic hosts at their word, they opened the doors of their hearts to the Messiah.

Just like that fateful night in Bethlehem, Jesus is still on a quest to find room…not to be born into the kingdom of this world, but for us to be born into the Kingdom of God. Today, He is still knocking on doors…not the door to an inn, but rather the door to hearts. In Revelation 3:20, Jesus says to the believers at Laodicea, “I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him and him with me.”

We make room for that which is important to us…friends, family, jobs, church, sports, hobbies…but do we make room for Him? The chambers of our hearts become crowded with busy-ness, disappointment, bitterness, selfishness, doubt and even unbelief. As the innkeepers of our hearts, it may be necessary to evict the clutter which occupies the space intended for Him.

Jesus is not looking for a temporary place to visit…He is looking for a welcome mat and a place to dwell. He wants to be the Innkeeper of our lives. Let every heart prepare Him room!

GOING DEEPER:
1. What needs to be evicted from your life to make room for Him?

FURTHER READING:
Matthew 6:33; Matthew 16:24

Married to Dan, Karen is a retired police officer. Currently, she is a Nail Technician at Craig Berns. She is the administrator for Oakwood’s Tuesday a.m. Bible Study and a volunteer at the Wildlife In Need Center.