Welcome to A Word from the Vine. I'm Pastor Loren Christensen of Exira's Danish Countryside Chapel, and I'm so glad you could join me today. As we approach the Christmas season, I want to share some reflections on the theme "God in the Midst of Our Mess." Over the next few episodes, we'll explore how God meets us in our imperfect, messy lives and brings His presence and peace.
Today, let's start by looking at the humble circumstances of Jesus' birth. When we picture that night in Bethlehem, we often imagine the serene nativity scene—Mary and Joseph, the baby Jesus wrapped in cloths, and the animals gathered around. It's a scene that brings comfort and peace to our hearts. But if we step back and think about the setting more deeply, we realize it was far from glamorous. It was humble. It was messy. And yet, that’s exactly how God chose to come into our world.
In Luke 2:1-7, we read about the birth of Jesus:
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
I can picture Joseph knocking on doors, desperate to find a place for Mary to rest. She was tired. She was ready to give birth. And every door closed in their faces. Finally, they ended up in a stable—a place for animals, not people—and it was there that the Savior of the world entered in.
What does that tell us about God? It tells us that He doesn’t wait for perfect conditions. He doesn’t require luxury or grandeur. He comes into humble places. He comes into messy places. And that’s good news for us because, if we’re honest, our hearts aren’t always neat and tidy either.
Sometimes we feel like we have to get everything in order before we invite God in. We think we need to clean up our lives, fix our mistakes, or be better people first. But Jesus didn’t wait for the world to be ready for Him. He came as a baby in a manger, and He’s still willing to come into the messiness of our lives today.
I remember a time when I felt overwhelmed by the messiness of life. It seemed like everything was falling apart, and I didn’t know how to make things right. But in the midst of that chaos, I felt God’s presence in a powerful way. He didn’t wait for me to have everything figured out. He met me right where I was, in the middle of my mess, and brought peace to my heart.
As we prepare for Christmas, let’s remember that God is not waiting for us to be perfect. He’s ready to meet us in our humble, messy places. Let’s open our hearts to Him and invite Him into our lives, just as they are.
Thank you for joining me today on A Word from the Vine. I hope you’ll tune in next time as we continue to explore how God is present in the midst of our mess. Until then, may you experience His peace and presence in your life.
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