Look to Jesus for Stability  

Recently my oldest grandson and his friend came over to our house to help assemble our makeshift stable for our outdoor nativity scene. My son-in-law had created this structure for us some years ago primarily using wooden pallets. As we put the shelter for baby Jesus together this time, it was noticeably shakier than in past years. My grandson discovered a cracked board as one of the problems, subsequently adding a few more screws in order to make it sturdier. However, he concluded that the pallets were getting old and it might be time soon to replace them or build a new structure. Hopefully it will survive this season without falling down on top of Joseph, Mary, and the baby. I guess you could say that we currently have an unstable stable.

The birth of Jesus took place in a rather unstable setting too. I am not referring to the barn in which He was born. (Some think it may have actually been within a cave that the animals were housed, making it an even more permanent and safe shelter.) I am referring to the fact that there is always a great deal of uncertainty in this changing and temporal world. However, there are times when things can be even more unsteady. It was an unstable time for the Jewish people as they were forced to exist under the unwelcome authoritarian rule of the Romans. And it had certainly been an unusually chaotic season for Joseph and Mary – the visits from the angel, the astounding news about a divinely-conceived pregnancy, the questions and struggles over being chosen to be the parents of such a special child, and dealing with the societal stigma of those who would misunderstand their situation. On top of that, they ended up having to travel away from home to Bethlehem just as the time of birth was drawing near. Then they were relegated to the smelly, dirty location where animals were kept instead of a nice, comfortable room - nothing stable there.

Our world still isn’t very stable today. Wars and threats of wars. Changes in leadership. Uncertain economies. Crime and violence. Contagious diseases. Maybe our own personal worlds have additional cracks in its boards. Job uncertainties. Shaky relationships. The loss of loved ones. At times our stable isn’t very stable.

Thankfully, we can have a firm support in our lives, no matter how uncertain and shaky our world becomes. It is found in that same little baby born in Bethlehem. At His birth He may have appeared fragile and weak – certainly not strong enough to be a beam that could hold up a shaking world. However, this was more than simply a newborn infant. This was the eternal Son of God taking on flesh and blood. This was Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever. This was the Rock of ages who could withstand any storm. This was the Ancient of Days who was, and is, and always will be. This was the ultimate in stability and support coming in to take the weight of a crumbling world on His shoulders.

This same Jesus can be our support and help in uncertain times. He can not only bring stability to our shaky circumstances, but He can give us peace and can steady our hearts even as our world crumbles around us. Sometimes He may hold our situations together with His powerful hand, but other times He may hold us together as the things around us fall apart. If we lean on Him, He will not let us down.

So if your stable is unstable these days, look to Jesus as the one who can hold you up and see you safely through. Put your trust in Him.