Crowded Places

I just finished watching Saturday night Bible Study with Pastor John Hannah, and he was teaching on Luke 2, and he posed the question, “What happens when the wrapping doesn’t match the gift?” As in Jesus was born in a place where His surroundings didn’t match His greatness. As he was teaching, I began to think about those surroundings, and that’s when I saw a tactic of the enemy.

Jesus was born during the time of the census which meant His stepfather, Joseph, and His mother, Mary, had to make their way to Bethlehem, and isn’t it just like the devil to send an overflow of people into the place you’re supposed to be. Think about that for a moment.

The enemy ensured that his people were in the city days before Joseph and Mary arrived. He even tried to make sure that there would be no room for Jesus. But God was like, “Oh, He gone be born here.” And the devil was like, “Where?” and continued to flood the city, and this is what you and I need to see about the enemy today.

Crowded Opportunities

Satan floods places and opportunities, that were meant for us, with lookalikes, substitutes, and imposters so that by the time we get there, it seems as if the opportunity isn’t for us. He does this because he knows how some of us are about crowded spaces. We'll get real ig'nant real quick or be like, "I'm finna go!" And that's what he hoping for.

He's hoping that we'll walk away from the opportunity, in which his replacements are ready and willing to take our place. But should we decide to thug it out, we tend to look at all the people and they seem to be better qualified, better looking, richer, or more talented than we are but yet we know, this is still the place.

I know this to be true for myself because everywhere I go, and I mean everywhere I go, it’s always crowded. Always. No matter what time. No matter where I am, its crowded. But in my spirit, I know I’m supposed to be there. I can tell I’m supposed to be but y’all just up in here. Let me say that again for somebody.

There is some place you’re supposed to be, but folk are just there. Yes, they got there first and yes, they’re doing what you’re supposed to be doing but you’re supposed to be there.

The thing you need to remember is that those people will usually arrive first and will always have the best accommodations. They’ll have more followers, a bigger platform, more things, and be living a better life. But just because they are, doesn’t mean that you can't too and it doesn't mean that God won’t make a space for you, even in a manger type place. And though you’ve been living a manger type life, and though your wrapping doesn’t look like the gift that’s within you, that doesn’t mean that the God whose Son was born in a manger, won’t do exploits through you. And yes, you’ve been comfortable in the manger, but can I tell you something? It’s time to leave the manger and go be great, as Dr. Hannah prophesied.

But before you do, I need to remind you of this. There are those, in the crowd, who’ve treated you like don’t belong in Bethlehem. They’ve treated you like you’re supposed to remain in the lower level of the inn. They’ve treated you like an animal and thought that you were less than, not knowing that the same Lord who was born in a manger lives big in you. So, just know that even though they haven’t made room for you, and even though they've tried to take your place, YOUR GIFT HAS MADE ROOM FOR YOU!!!!

Proverbs 18:16 says, ‘A man’s gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men.’ Your gift, the gift that God gave you in the manger, has now made room for you. Now go and be great!

Pray this with me: Heavenly Father, even though the enemy tried to flood the place I'm supposed to be, and though he sent a crowd of people to try to take what was rightfully mine, I thank You that Your gift, the gift that You gave me, has now made room for me. In Jesus’ name.

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