“Then hear thou their prayer and their supplication in heaven thy dwelling place, and maintain their cause,” I Kings 8:49
As I sit meditating on this verse today I am astounded by what God has done. The writer here is supplicating with God. He asks God for restoration when God’s people enter into judgment for their sins and are taken away into captivity…for forgiveness when they turn and repent. He asks that at the moment of the people’s cry of remorse for their sins God would hear their supplication from His dwelling place in heaven or from His fixed and permanent abode in Heaven. The intercessor further asks God not only to hear the people’s cry but that he would maintain their cause…bring restoration…deliver them from the results of their sins.
Here is what I am astounded by. God did it! And in order to do it He left his permanent abode in Heaven and came to Earth. He took on the form of sinful man and “maintained our cause.” We often forget that the cross was not the first sacrifice Jesus made to save us. What did He give up just to become one of us?
Let’s celebrate that sacrificial gift this season!
Reinventing the We'll 
What a really beautiful post and way to remind us to remember what He gave up for us! God bless you, Pastor J. Thanks for keeping us mindful of Jesus this Christmas!
And thank you Deb!
What did He give up just to become one of us? Quite the question to ponder over. Will we really ever know until we get to heaven. Thanks, Pastor J for reminding us that this season is all about Him and many blessings to you, Pastor J!
Sometimes I wonder if even then we will truly be able to understand what He gave up to become one of us! It was a bigger step down than any of us yet realize.
So true.
We tend to use the word “everything” without thought as to its true meaning.
I can only think of two times when the word truly applies. The Creator God created ‘EVERYTHING’ in the universe, giving all life the ability to recreate but only after its own kind. “without Him was not made anything that was made”
The Son of God gave up ‘EVERYTHING’ when He came to earth. Sure, He knew all would be restored when He finished His work here, but He willingly laid aside EVERYTHING for us. When He became sin for us, He even gave up the fellowship He had with His Father, as for the ONLY time in all eternity, the two were separated by our sin.
What an incredibly amazing God!
Yes indeed Angela! Jesus gave up everything! I stand amazed as I consider item by item what that everything entails and then I bow in humble adoration as I understand that when I come to the end of my list of things He gave up there is more besides which I could never understand because I have never tasted the glories of Heaven!