O Glorious King, in my ineptitude and powerlessness to overcome sin and temptation, You came down from Heaven to save me. I want You to know that I tried very hard to avoid the occasions of sin but found my efforts to be futile. In Your mercy and goodness, You saw my struggles and realized how helpless I was without You. So You did what a loving King does, You came to rescue me. You gave up the comforts of Heaven to come down to this dark, gloomy and sin-filled earth because my safety meant more than Your comfort. To make the sacrifice You planned more real, You came as a man … first as a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes born in a manger … then as an adolescent laboring in Your earthly father’s carpentry shop … and finally as a grown man with a mission from His heavenly Father. I am so blessed to know that I was so important to You that You would sacrifice all so that I could have all.
As a small helpless child, You were the epitome of my helpless struggle. In the same way that You depended on Your parents for sustenance, so do I depend on You for mine. In the same way You depended on Your parents for protection, so do I depend on You for mine. In the same way You depended on Your parents to make good decisions regarding Your well-being, so do I depend on You for mine. In the same way that You drank milk to sustain Your body, so do I need the milk of Your Word to sustain my spirit. And, in the same way that as You grew stronger, You needed meat to sustain Your growing body, so do I need the meat of Your Word to sustain my growing spirituality. O Infant of God, how I adore You and appreciate Your selfless service and the leadership You’ve given to Your people, and that includes me. Your visitation reminds me that in every way You were human … and, like me, You endured the heartaches, disappointments and physical pains of life that I endure.
Even to this day, I know that many people struggle to understand how a humble carpenter’s son from Nazareth could be their King. But that does not change the fact that You are the King of all the earth. I have come to the point in my life where I gladly recognize You as my King and Savior. The only meaningful gift I have to offer You, that You don’t already possess, is myself … a broken piece of clay with many flaws … but with a free will and a devoted heart that I give to You alone. Energized with Your saving power, I now believe that anything You guide me to is destined to be good for me. Forgiveness, faith and putting others first are some of the characteristics that make one great in Your Kingdom. In order to live such a life, I must allow myself to be conformed into Your likeness and live by the standards laid out in Your Word. Because of You, I once was lost, but now I’m found … I once was weak, but now I am strong … I once floundered in life and then You came. And it’s in Jesus’ name I pray. AMEN!!
Matthew 1:23 The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel … which means, God is with us.