The Christmas Carpenter

One of the "joys" of Christmas is late Christmas Eve, you take "it" out of the box (whatever "it" is), read the so-called simple instructions always including the magic words, "No assembly required", or "Easy assembly instructions enclosed", and the fun begins! You can't find all the parts, the parts don't fit together, you read and re-read and re-read the directions, you count and re-count and RE-count the parts, you hit your left thumb with the hammer held by your right thumb, you let out a scream, and the nightmare begins. Remember?

Two thousand years ago, a carpenter's life was turned upside down by the news that his betrothed was with child and not his. The child was the Son of God, promised by prophets of old, and Joseph was about to become the early caregiver of the Lord Jesus Christ. Can you see him making wooden toys for Little Boy Jesus? Can you see him patiently showing a teenage Jesus the "tricks of the trade," so He too, could become a GOOD carpenter from Nazareth?

Jesus, a carpenter? God had bigger dreams for Him. But those plans still included being a Carpenter; His shop was just located in heaven's halls. He's the heavenly Carpenter who puts things together, who fixes what's wrong, who makes it brand new, and who can take the broken things of your life, reassemble and restore all the pieces, and bring love and joy back to your life.

Like all good carpenters, He knows how to "hit the nail on the head" in whatever you need.  Whatever repair is in order, you can open His Word and find the precise word you need to hear from His holy lips. The answer may be in a song or verse or a "word in season" from a friend that finds its way into your heart and you know the Carpenter has been at work. His shop never closes, there's no charge for His services, and He does incredible work.

Now believe it. Let the Christmas carpenter have full control in your life. Give Him all the broken pieces. He wants to fix whatever's wrong, to assemble all the parts, put them back in working order, and place you on display before the world as a heavenly-crafted person, repaired and renewed by heaven's Workman, the Christmas carpenter from Nazareth who is your Savior and Lord.