THE INNKEEPER'S FOLLY
A young boy had his heart set on playing Joseph in a Christmas pageant, but a different lad landed the part. So he had to settle for the role of the innkeeper. Embittered, he determined revenge was in order. On the night of the performance, Joseph knocked on the door of the inn and asked for a room. Rather than turning Joseph and Mary away, however, the innkeeper replied, "Sure, we have lots of room! Come on in!" But the boy who had bested him for the part of Joseph displayed his superior acting skills. Pretending to look into the room he exclaimed, "What a mess! I can't let my wife stay in this dump. Let's go Mary. I'd rather sleep in the barn than this place!"
We laugh, but how many of us, given the chance, would try to change the story like this boy? The Son of God, born in a barn… really? A palace at the very least. And his parents? A peasant and his teenage fiancé— scratch that! The first worshippers? Not a bunch of smelly shepherds. How about a contingency of religious leaders, kings… and maybe some wise men? (Well, at least I got the last part right!)
One small problem. Except for the wise men, none of that was the Lord’s will. Clearly God's plan was for Jesus to be "born in a barn" that night, and The Almighty providentially arranged circumstances so there would be "no room in the inn" (Luke 2:7).
Without realizing it, sometimes we act as if we’re smarter than God. We know what God’s word says, but we go “off-script” and crash and burn, as did our young thespian. Think about Abraham and Sarah. Rather than trusting God to give them a child, they took matters into their own hands, in an effort to "help God out" (Genesis 16). The result was disastrous.
God’s way is always best for our lives, even when it doesn’t make sense to us. That’s true, whether we're dealing with managing our finances, our family, or our future. Surrender to God’s plan and the results will be far better than we could imagine.
Let’s not be "foolish innkeepers". Trust God, even if it doesn’t make sense. Even if it means life may be hard for a season. Even if it means turning Joseph and Mary out "in the cold.” God’s plan is always better than ours.
Principle: God’s plan is always better than ours.
Promise: When we surrender to God’s plan, the results will be far better than we could imagine.
Ponder:
In the past, when have I found that my ways definitely don’t work as well as God’s ?
What areas of my life am I struggling to surrender to the Lord?
Prayer: “Lord, I willingly acknowledge your ways are far superior to mine. I surrender to your will. Help me to trust you with my plans.”
Pursue: For a deeper dive, study Luke 2:1-7.
Perceptions: Record any ideas God puts on your heart from this devotional.