A Knock in the Night – Toni Babcock
"Behold I stand at the door and knock…" (Revelation 3:20a KJV)
Most of us have experienced an unexpected knock at the door. Perhaps it was an annoying knock, a persistent knock, or an unsettling knock in the night. My guess is it may have been all three for the innkeeper in Bethlehem on the eve of Christ's birth. I imagine he spent his day haggling with vendors, dickering with patrons, or managing unruly kids - maybe even contending with a lazy servant or an exasperated spouse. Then came the urgent knock.
It was Joseph and his wife Mary, desperate for a place to stay. Mary was soon to give birth to Jesus, and there was no time to lose!
Unfortunately, Bethlehem was packed with people that night, and all the local rooms were taken. The innkeeper didn't have a presentable room to share - nothing but a smelly stable outside with an open stall - but here is the blessed truth: All he had to offer is what he was willing to give. God didn't expect anything more.
Put into spiritual terms - when God comes to call, we need to make room too. We can't say "I'm not ready to receive Christ. I need more time to fix what's broken and clean myself up." That's Jesus' job! He didn't come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance, (Luke 5:31-32 KJV). Repentance involves a change of heart and mind in response to the good news of the gospel, allowing Jesus to be all and do all in terms of our salvation. It is a fundamental of faith and being born anew. Has it happened to you?
Toni M. Babcock is author of The Stone Writer, Christian Fiction for Young Readers and Teens. Contact | 
