God Laid Him in Your Manger

God Laid Him in Your Manger

He was bruised and rejected; did not find room in the inn, so God laid Him in your manger.

Can you accept it?

We're celebrating in this joyful Christmas holiday pleasant family time, good food and gifts, but the greatest of all is our Lord who is in our hearts. He was laid in a smelly manger because there was no room for Him in the inn. Is was stinky, not in order, and very uncomfortable.

Luk 2:7 NASB And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

This is where our King was laid. It was the only place found for Him. It's the manger of your heart. Yes, the Father knew it was smelly but He still chose you to lay His Son in your manger. You might feel you want to be in an inn, in a clean, fragrant, orderly place around you, and you find yourself surrounded with your flesh. But look who lives inside of you – the most treasured possession of all. Your smelly manger became a place to house the Lord.

Unlike His gone astray bride who was thrown in the field and was not wrapped in any cloth (Ezekiel 16), when His Son was laid in the manger of our heart the Father made sure He was wrapped with cloths. As His body, He made sure you are clothed, wrapped, protected, and no longer in your nakedness.

The Father has wrapped Him with His garment which He has given you as His bride. You are wrapped under His wings. Feel safe and secure, be comforted and loved by Him who loves you in all circumstances.

Luk 2:8 In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night.

The Father even sent shepherds to seek Him at such a young stage in His life because when Jesus lives in you, it is a wonder. Who could believe that the King of kings would be in such a stinky place?

These shepherds who went to seek Him got a sign: "This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." (Luk 2:12)

The sign for finding Jesus is not "go to the inn, to the hotel, to a clean house, an orderly temple, and you will find Jesus". The sign to find Jesus is " go to where the animals, those with the fleshy nature, the filthy ones, the messy, the sinners - and you will find Jesus.

Light belongs in the darkness. God sent His Son to those who know their fleshy animal nature is weak and they need a Savior and a Physician. It's those who are forgiven much who love much, Jesus said. It's those who know how messed up they are, who love much. Why? Because they realize how much God loves and accepts them with all their mess.

When these shepherds (messengers who care about His sheep) found Jesus in the manger (not in a clean, neat, orderly house, hotel or temple) they made known what they had heard and seen to others. They became witnesses to that truth "Jesus is found in a manger, He was put in a stinky, smelly, messy place, not in an orderly clean temple". As good shepherds they spread this Good News (Gospel) and all who heard were at wonder.

Luk 2:17-18 NASB When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. (18) And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds... 2:20 The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.

Rejoice in Him who came and was put in your heart. You might look messy and smelly like a manger, but God still decided to lay Him in your mess by choice. Other shepherds who care for sheep will find Him right there in your smelly messy manger and be able to spread this Good News: "We found Jesus in this smelly animal house and God said it is "peace on earth to those with whom He is pleased".

It pleased Him to do so. He chose you to live in your heart; it's not you who chose Him. You will find Jesus in you in the midst of your manger, in smelly times, in fleshy times, in messy times. It's in the midst of our stench and darkness that God shines His light.

So, don't look at you're smelly, stinky, fleshy house, the mess and how ugly it is around you. Your temple with its stench is temporary and will be replaced. Look at the One who lives inside your manger; the Son of God who shined His light in your darkness and said "peace, I am pleased with you". The Father will finish what He started in you and make sure Jesus in you grows up. You are His beloved and He is well pleased with you, because He makes no mistakes. His plan was to send His Son to be born in a smelly manger.

Smell the One who lives inside you and see His beauty in you and you will find peace.

Luk 2:14 "Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased."

A Vision

I saw an old deserted broken wooden house in the woods. It's windows were shattered, the roof was falling apart, no color or life to it. Thorns and weeds were growing in the inside of it, cob webs everywhere. No one had lives in it for many years. Who would want to live in such a house?

I saw the Lord entering this house and sitting there on a chair. He decided to make it His house and live there. I asked Him "Lord, why would you want to live in such a house? Look at all the mess, the weeds, the thorns, the brokenness?".

He said to me "Elana, this is My house and I chose to live in you. I will make it beautiful and shiny. Leave the restoration to Me."

What's messy, ugly, stinky, and rejected is a stumbling block to religious hearts.

Then Jesus asked them, "Didn't you ever read this in the Scriptures? 'The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone. This is the LORD's doing, and it is wonderful to see.' (43) I tell you, the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation that will produce the proper fruit. (44) Anyone who stumbles over that stone will be broken to pieces, and it will crush anyone it falls on. "

Mat 21:42-44

Learn to accept God's love for you with all your mess.

This is why He said…

Isa 53:1-12 Who believes what we've heard and seen? Who would have thought GOD's saving power would look like this? (2) The servant grew up before God--a scrawny seedling, a scrubby plant in a parched field. There was nothing attractive about him, nothing to cause us to take a second look. (3) He was looked down on and passed over, a man who suffered, who knew pain firsthand. One look at him and people turned away. We looked down on him, thought he was scum. (4) But the fact is, it was our pains he carried-- our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us. We thought he brought it on himself, that God was punishing him for his own failures. (5) But it was our sins that did that to him, that ripped and tore and crushed him--our sins! He took the punishment, and that made us whole. Through his bruises we get healed. (6) We're all like sheep who've wandered off and gotten lost. We've all done our own thing, gone our own way. And GOD has piled all our sins, everything we've done wrong, on him, on him. (7) He was beaten, he was tortured, but he didn't say a word. Like a lamb taken to be slaughtered and like a sheep being sheared, he took it all in silence…. Still, it's what GOD had in mind all along, to crush him with pain. The plan was that he give himself as an offering for sin so that he'd see life come from it--life, life, and more life. And GOD's plan will deeply prosper through him. (11) Out of that terrible travail of soul, he'll see that it's worth it and be glad he did it. Through what he experienced, my righteous one, my servant, will make many "righteous ones," as he himself carries the burden of their sins. (12) Therefore I'll reward him extravagantly-- the best of everything, the highest honors-- Because he looked death in the face and didn't flinch, because he embraced the company of the lowest. He took on his own shoulders the sin of the many, he took up the cause of all the black sheep.

But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God's instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you-- (10) from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted. (11) Friends, this world is not your home, so don't make yourselves cozy in it. Don't indulge your ego at the expense of your soul.

1Pe 2:9-11

God's promise for His rejected ones who find it hard to believe He loves them with all their failures and mess.

You'll be a stunning crown in the palm of GOD's hand, a jeweled gold cup held high in the hand of your God. (4) No more will anyone call you Rejected, and your country will no more be called Ruined. You'll be called Hephzibah (My Delight), and your land Beulah (Married), Because GOD delights in you and your land will be like a wedding celebration. (5) For as a young man marries his virgin bride, so your builder marries you, And as a bridegroom is happy in his bride, so your God is happy with you.

Isa 62:3-5

"now that you have had a taste of the Lord's kindness. (4) You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God's temple. He was rejected by people, but He was chosen by God for great honor. (5) And you are living stones that God is building into His spiritual temple. What's more, you are His holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God".

1Pe 2:3-5

"But if an angel from heaven appears—a special messenger to intercede for a person and declare that he is upright— (24) he will be gracious and say, 'Rescue him from the grave, for I have found a ransom for his life.' (25) Then his body will become as healthy as a child's, firm and youthful again. (26) When he prays to God, he will be accepted. And God will receive him with joy and restore him to good standing. (27) He will declare to his friends, 'I sinned and twisted the truth, but it was not worth it. (28) God rescued me from the grave, and now my life is filled with light.' (29) "Yes, God does these things again and again for people. (30) He rescues them from the grave so they may enjoy the light of life.

Job 33:23-30 NLT

Yes, He was bruised and rejected; did not find room in the inn, so God laid Him in your manger.

Can you accept it?

Much love and peace,

Elana