28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”
29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”—The words of Jesus recorded by the Apostle Mark in Mark 12:28-31
No matter how hard we try, we cannot manufacture love. True love comes to us as a gift from God, through the power of the Holy Spirit.
One of the great blessings of the Season of Advent arrives at the doorstep of our heart in the form of a longing for the Messiah, the Christ. That longing comes from the gentle, or not so gentle, wooing of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit whispers to the ear of our hearts. He tells us of the magnificent glories that wait for us at the feet of Jesus. No wonder Emily E. Elliott was moved to pen these words that Timothy R. Matthews set to music:
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.
O come to my heart, Lord Jesus,
There is room in my heart for Thee.
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.
O come to my heart, Lord Jesus,
There is room in my heart for Thee.
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.
O come to my heart, Lord Jesus,
There is room in my heart for Thee.
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.
O come to my heart, Lord Jesus,
There is room in my heart for Thee.
When the heav’ns shall ring, and her choirs shall 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.
As these weeks of Advent lead us to the stable in Bethlehem—and as they herald the return of the Great King Jesus—let us join with brothers and sisters in Christ to express our longing:
O come to my heart, Lord Jesus,
There is room in my heart for Thee.
Will you pray with me?
Thank You, God, for loving us. Thank You for sending Jesus to be our Savior. Thank You for sending us Your Holy Spirit to dwell within us. As we experience another Season of Advent, we open our hearts to You and invite You to fill us full of Your Presence. Help us, each one, to learn how to surrender our heart, mind, soul, and strength to You.
Precious Father, we desire to live our lives in obedience to Your will and Your Word. Please continue to illuminate the pathway of our lives by the power of Your Holy Spirit. As always, we thank You for hearing our prayer in and through the precious Name of Jesus, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
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