Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room

Luke 2:1–7 NKJV

And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into 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 wife, who was with child. So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Joy to the World , the Lord is come!

Let earth receive her King;

Let every heart prepare Him room,

And Heaven and nature sing,

And Heaven and nature sing,

And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.

This first verse declares that joy was coming to the world in the coming of the Lord... and calls all to receive our king.

The central call of this verse says,

"Let every heart prepare Him room."

Christmas is a busy time!

An elderly widow decided it was too much trouble to get all of her kids and grandkids Christmas presents, so she decided to send them a check with a card. A few days after she mailed all the cards, she discovered she forgot to include the checks in the cards. Imagine all those kids opening a card from grandma with a note inside that says, “Buy your own presents.”

Isaiah 40:3–5 NKJV

The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord; Make straight in the desert A highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted And every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight And the rough places smooth; The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, And all flesh shall see it together; For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

Desert places! Even in the desert there is a way!

Guideposts magazine once ran a Christmas story about a certain nine year old boy named Wally Purling. Wally was big for his age, and a little bit of a slow learner in school. Although he was big, he wasn’t a bully. Everybody liked him and he was nice to everybody.

They were doing a Christmas program in his school, and Wally wanted to be in it. He wanted to be a shepherd, but the teacher had another part in mind for him. She wanted him to be the innkeeper because he was so big. Wally took the part home and studied it. He practiced hard.

The night came for the play, and everything was going smoothly. It came to the time when Mary and Joseph knocked on the door of the inn and Wally opened the door and said, “What do you want?” Joseph said, “We need a place to stay for the night.” “You’ve got to go find it somewhere else; the inn is full.” “Are you sure,” Joseph asked. “We’ve come a long way and it’s cold.” “No. There’s no place here, go somewhere else.” “But my wife is going to have a baby, isn’t there some corner we can hide in?”

At this point in the play there was silence, one of those embarrassing silences that make you believe somebody has forgotten his lines. Wally stood there, not saying anything. The prompter off stage whispered his line, “No, begone!” So Wally said, “No, begone!” Joseph put his arm around Mary and turned to walk away from the inn.

It was at this point that the Christmas play took an unusual twist. Wally was big, but he had a heart just as big, and he couldn’t stand seeing Mary and Joseph walk away. Caught up in the mood of the scene, Wally couldn’t help himself. He blurted out, “Wait a minute, Joseph. Bring Mary on back. You can have my room. I’ll sleep in the cold.”

It can happen to anyone! We get everything prepared, except our own hearts!

Let every heart prepare Him Room!