Father God, before You ever created the world, You knew that man would sin.  When there was yet not one created being here on Earth, You knew that as time would unfold, sin would rob man of the abundant life You had purposed for him.   Yet this knowing didn’t stop You from allowing your plan to begin.  You spoke and said, “Let there be…….” and from the Word of God a perfect world was made, full of beauty and life.  

The first couple lived day after day walking in the light of Your love and provision, with nothing to separate or even distance them from intimate fellowship with You. Then the day came that You had always known would come—the day Your heart would break. The day the tempter’s whispered words would be pondered rather than ignored, dissatisfaction displacing contentment as pride shoved trust aside.  And in that moment, in spite of a broken heart, perhaps even because of it, You set the second phase of Your plan into motion: recovery.

And thus began century after century of mankind’s tug-o-war with pride.  Your treasured people crying out for You, only to ignore You once a crisis had passed. Pride-filled hearts leaving lessons unlearned. All the while You patiently, graciously, intervened time after time, each time knowing it was only a matter of time until once again Your immeasurable grace would be deemed of little worth.

Throughout the centuries You sent prophets to speak truth to Your people.  They were ridiculed, imprisoned and stoned to death… a shameful clue that Your people were… clueless! If they’d only realized Your love.

Since that moment when You had said, “Let there be light”, millennium had come and gone. The world was encompassed by a darkness that only the depravity of sin could have accomplished.  The indescribable life and beauty of Eden was now only alive in the hearts of those who still held hope that God did indeed love, and His promised Child would one day come.

Finally, in Your perfect plan, the day came for You to initiate what Your heart surely longed to deliver generation after generation.  Yet that joyful climax of holy anticipation must surely have been accompanied by heartache.  How could it be otherwise?  You knew the story  from beginning to end: ~From manger to cross,                                                           ~From the heavenly host announcing His birth to legions of angels restrained from ministering to Your Son in Gethsemane,               ~From shepherds and wise men coming to see a Savior and King to crowds mocking their Savior’s claim to be the King of Kings.   And despite knowing all this, You chose to unfold Your plan. You sent us Your Son!   

Jesus, You knew a manger would be your crib…yet You came! 

You knew that, while You were yet a baby, a king would arrange for your death… yet You came! 

You knew Your own people would hate and betray You…. yet You came!

You knew Your earthly destiny was a torturous death… yet You came!

You knew that even after rising from death, still, everyone would not accept Your offer of abundant life, eternal life…yet You came!  

Surely never before or since has one lived who knew oh so much more than simply “the odds”. You knew the harsh reality!  Yet You came!   

I will always be amazed at Your grace, Your love, and Your tender Father’s heart.  And my wonder will forever make Christmas my most precious, treasured time of the year.