Joy to the world
The Lord has come
Let earth receive her King
Let every heart prepare Him room …

Let’s pause right there and focus on that last line from the Christmas carol Joy to the World. I do ‘prepare a room’ in our home when we have guests spend the night. I dust and vacuum and make sure there are clean linens. I try to create some space in a closet, making room for our guests’ belongings and luggage.

But the phrase “Let every heart prepare Him room” obviously has a completely different meaning. What role have we allowed Jesus to play? Have we so filled our lives with other things that we have basically hung a ‘NO VACANCY’ sign on our heart, leaving ‘no room’ for Him? Or, do we treat Jesus as a temporary guest during emergencies or on special holidays? Hopefully, we have welcomed Him in and asked Him to reign as King, wholeheartedly surrendering to Him.

If we decide to welcome Jesus in, the amazing thing is that we don’t need to have our lives ‘cleaned up’ first. He comes in and helps us with our mess. The other point to remember is that He wants more than one small guest room. He desires to reign in every area of our life.

King David, known for his devotion to God, gave his son the following charge: “And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts” 1 Chronicles 28:9a.

On the first Christmas, there was “no room” for Jesus.
More recently, He waits outside and gently knocks.
I pray you have made room in your heart and welcomed Him in.