O Come All Yoy Unfaithful Devotional

I sent this in the newsletter yesterday but I thought I’d share it again with you all this morning.

I heard a story the other day of a pastor who met with some religious leaders where he was serving. They were speaking about how, although they all have different views on God and religion, they pretty much all believe the same thing.

So, the Pastor tried to sum up what they were saying like this he said, “it sounds like you see God at the top of the mountain, and every different religion may have different ways or routes to climb the mountain, but we all get to the same God when we get there.”

The leaders liked that explanation. They thought it pretty well summed up what they believed. But then the Pastor explained what was different about Christianity. “The Bible teaches that God doesn’t wait for us to climb the mountain. He comes down to us to where we are.”

That’s the story of Christmas. God coming down to us. God coming in the form of a helpless baby and laid in a manger to come and be with us. God didn’t wait for us to make it up to him.

Aren’t you glad he doesn’t wait for us to clean ourselves up before coming to us? Aren’t you glad God didn’t wait for us to be faithful before coming?

He came while we were still enemies. He came while we were still covered in the filth of our sins. He comes in the midst of our unfaithfulness and makes us faithful. He comes when we are weak and hurting.

Christmas should be a time of joy and laughter, but for many, it can be a time of hurt and pain. And even though we know the truth. We know God is in control and that God has a plan for our lives.

But for those of you who are hurting, you know that right theology doesn’t always take the pain away. Even when you believe in the right things, life still hurts.

But the story of Christmas is this. God doesn’t wait for us to get everything just right. He doesn’t wait for our right theology to have its proper effect on how we feel.

He just comes. He comes to us in our mess. In our hurt. In our pain. And because he came to us, we can go to him. And he can save us. He can heal us. He can make things new.

O come, all you unfaithful weak and unstable know you are not alone

O come, barren and waiting ones Weary of praying, come See what your God has done Christ is born for you