I stand in awe

Radio commentator Paul Harvey once told a story about a farmer who was a religious skeptic. One cold winter night, the farmer heard a thumping sound at this window. He went to the window and watched a small group of sparrows beat themselves against the glass, attracted to the warmth inside. Touched, the farmer bundled up and opened the barn for the struggling birds. He turned on the lights, tossed some hay in a corner, and sprinkled some crackers nearby to lure them inside. But the sparrows hid themselves in the darkness, afraid of him. He tried circling behind the birds to drive them toward the barn. Finally, he retreated to the house to see if they would flutter to the barn on their own. Nothing worked. He, a huge, alien creature, had terrified them. The birds couldn’t understand that he actually desired to help them.

As he continued to watch the doomed sparrows, a thought hit him: If only I could become a bird—one of them—just for a moment. Then I wouldn’t frighten them. I could lead them to warmth and safety. At that same moment, another thought dawned on the farmer: He had just grasped what Jesus did for us.

That’s what the incarnation is. Where Jesus as God, become embodied in human form, in order to lead us out of the cold darkness, and into the warmth and safety to live with Him. That is the whole purpose of salvation.

“He came to the very world he created…” (John 1:10 [NLT])

“So the Word (Jesus) became human and made his home among us. For he was full of unfailing love and faithfulness.” (John 1:14 [NLT])

Jesus who existed in the beginning with God, who created everything, who gave life to everything He created, who brought His light to everyone, cared about us so much that He left heaven, reduced Himself to human form, to tell us, “Hey, this is the way to heaven. It will be safe and warm for you for all eternity. All you have to do is follow Me. I will lead you there.”

I stand in awe.

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