Heaven's Light Breaking: A 5-Day Advent DevotionalSample

When Jesus, the Son of God, walked this earth, you could technically say He was homeless. Before Bethlehem, however, He had the greatest of homes imaginable.

Jesus left His home in heaven so you could have a home in heaven. God sent His Son from the infinite beauty of Paradise to be born in the most crude, unsanitary conditions imaginable. God went from the glory of the throne surrounded by radiant, adoring angels to a feeding trough in a cold, damp cave with the animals and the smell of urine in the air.

It was an unwelcoming place, but int my mind that doesn’t diminish the Christmas story at all. In fact, it enhances the story to think of all that God left to come to us. What an amazing sacrifice!

He left His heavenly home so we could have a heavenly home. He left His home in heaven to make a home in our hearts. He was born so we could be born again.

When a man or woman becomes a Christian, Jesus Christ literally takes residence in his or her heart. That is exactly what the Bible teaches.

I heard the story of a mother who told her little girl, “Jesus lives in my heart.” So the little girl put her ear to her mom’s chest and said, “I am listening to Jesus in your heart.” And the mother said, “Really? What are you hearing”?” She sayssaid, “Mom, I think right now He’s making coffee.” Maybe the mother had indigestion. I don’t know. But the fact is, when a person believes in Jesus, He really does come and live inside of you.

Colossians 1:27 (NLT) says, “And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory. In John 14:23 (nlt), “All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them.”

Sometimes you hear the Spanish expression, Mi casa es su casa, which means, “My house is your house.” When you become a Christian, that literally becomes true. Jesus doesn’t want to be a guest in your home, He claims ownership. When you invite Him in to your life, He is the one who owns the house. You are living in His house.

And wherever He lives, He brings peace and joy along with Him.