Day 4: Thou didst leave Thy throne

1. Thou didst leave Thy throne and Thy kingly crown,
When Thou camest to earth for me;
But in Bethlehem's home was there found no room
For Thy holy nativity.

RefrainO come to my heart, Lord Jesus,
There is room in my heart for Thee.

2. Heaven's arches rang when the angels sang,
Proclaiming Thy royal degree;
But of lowly birth didst Thou come to earth,
And in great humility. Refrain

3. The foxes found rest, and the birds their nest
In the shade of the forest tree;
But Thy couch was the sod, O Thou Son of God,
In the deserts of Galilee. Refrain

4. Thou camest, O Lord, with the living Word,
That should set Thy people free;
But with mocking scorn and with crown of thorn,
They bore Thee to Calvary. Refrain

5. When the heavens shall ring, and the angels sing,
At Thy coming to victory,
Let Thy voice call me home, saying "Yet there is room,
There is room at My side for thee."
    My heart shall rejoice, Lord Jesus,
    When Thou comest and callest for me

If you do not know this song, at this link you can hear the melody and get the music! It is well worth knowing!
I don't think enough about what Christ gave up for me, knowing full well the suffering, rejection and pain He would experience on earth! In heaven He had everything, on earth there was no room for him but in a stable.
He came in humility, in poverty, in lowliness to teach us something valuable.
We are so caught up in appearances!  We judge others instantly as to their wealth, their position, their religion (or lack thereof), and whatever else we come up with.  At Christmas, we evaluate our neighbor's light display, our friend's Christmas sunday attire, the size of the Christmas tree, the wrapping of our sibling's presents...so much emphasis on appearances!
The Jews judged their religion on appearances, and Christ crashed through their wall of expectations of the Messiah.  They expected a king, he came as a carpenter's son, born in a stable. They expected to be courted and awed by a powerful leader, he spent more time with the masses of peasants, sick and tax collecters.
Philippians 2 goes into a beautiful description of how Christ came in humility, to set us an example of service and selflessness!  How wonderful to come to the point of realizing the power of humility and the riches of serving others!

What expectations and evaluations do you hold that need to be stripped away this Christmas?  Is there room in your holiday plans for the Christ of Christmas?