When the Time Comes, I'll...

"When the time comes, I'll give you a call about that." I'm sure you've heard yourself say this from time to time. "When the time comes, I'll..." - Isn't that an interesting start to a sentence? It's absolutely pregnant with possibilities. For example, "When the time comes, I'll let you know about the job you are interested in." Hearing this from an employer is something every perspective employee wants to hear. Of course, it's not definite yet, but it is filled with the possibility of new employment. As important as employment is, I want to take this to a much higher level. Let me explain.

Galatians 4:4 states, "But when the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman..." In essence, God was saying in the Old Testament, "When the time comes, I am sending you My Son to make it possible for all those in captivity to be set free (Isaiah 61:1)." And then we see in the New Testament that the time came at just the right moment in human history for our Savior to be born. This causes me to ask what made that time so perfect?

From a human perspective the birth of royalty is something to be honored with plush preparations, homage given and all the "bells and whistles" afforded to royalty. However, with God Almighty we see something completely different. We see His Son, Jesus, born into the height of sinfulness to a people under the hobnailed boot of Rome. There were no plush preparations. In fact, there was no room in the inn at all! When He was born, it was into a stable with animals as witnesses to the birth of the most important person born in history. Take a moment and think about that and then realize that God the Father would not have had it any other way. This was the way His Son would enter our lives. Make no mistake about it - when He comes the second time it will be in full royal regal, but this trip started in a stable right when the "time had come".

So, why might this matter to you and I, or to the people in our lives? Simply because the Lord Jesus Christ did not come to be served, but to serve right in the middle of a messed up world. People's lives today (no matter how great they seem on the outside) are just like that stable without Jesus. Messy, smelly and needing new life to be born into them.

Now, I'd like you to do something. Please take a moment and think about what Christmas really means from God's perspective. As you do this, I'd like you to think of one "messy stable" situation in your life, or in the life of someone you have been praying for. Then allow God Almighty to show you that He is interested in this situation and in no way offended by it. In fact, it was for this very reason that He sent Jesus into the world. As you ponder this "messy stable" ask God to be "born into that stable" and bring about the redemption needed. He still answers prayer! I do not think you could regret this little exercise. If you get a chance, write a comment on this blog and let me know how it goes. Of course, you should not mention the particular situation, but simply your interaction with God your Father.

By the way, before I sign off I want to tell you about a couple of movies my wife and I watched on Netflix recently that really encouraged us:

- The Miracle of the Bells
- The Bells of St. Mary's

They are old flicks, but they are good ones!

Have a great week - Pastor Eric