“Then the LORD said to Jacob, ‘Go back to the land of your fathers and to your relatives, and I will be with you.’”
—Genesis 31:3 NIV

Jacob’s name literally means “supplanter.” Cheater. Con-man.

And during most of his life he lived up to that name.

He stole his older brother’s birthright and he tricked his nearly blind father into giving him the all-important blessing reserved only for the firstborn.

And yet God was with him, blessed him and chose for his people Israel to be descended from him.

If you’ve been following the Advent devotionals this week, you will have noticed a theme: apart from Jesus, not one of the people that God used in his story was perfect.

In fact, you can search the Bible for flawless people all you want, but you won’t find any.

Why is this important?

Because we’re not perfect either. And if we aren’t careful, we’ll believe the lie that our mistakes disqualify us from participating in the plans of God.

That is why the Imperfect Nativity is good news: Jesus is God-with-us in the midst of our mess.

And he invites us to be part of his story.

Here’s a simple prayer to carry with you today:

Breathe in: God of Jacob,
Breathe out: Write your story in me.