But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
who are too little to be among
the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to be ruler in Israel,
whose coming forth is from of old,
from ancient days.
~ Micah 5:2
This prophecy was written hundreds of years before Jesus’s birth, but it foretells the birthplace of the Messiah. It shows that salvation by Jesus was planned long before that, “from ancient days.” The Jews must have thought God was moving way too slow, and many think God is moving slow when it comes to Jesus’s Second Coming. However, God’s timing is perfect; our patience isn’t. God always planned for Jesus to be born in a stable in Bethlehem. He always planned to Him to die on the cross and to be raised again from the dead to pay the penalty for our sins and to give us eternal life. And His plans included what most thought too small to be of any importance—Jesus wasn’t born in Jerusalem, the city of David, or Rome, the headquarters of the empire, but in a town “too little to be among the clans of Judah.” Just as tiny Bethlehem wasn’t too insignificant to God, not one of His children—no matter the age, size, status in society, or level of morality—is too insignificant for His redemption. Jesus was born in that crude stable in a little village to save the sinful people in every village, town, city, and country in the world.
Lord God, Your plan astounds me. You knew man would sin before it happened and already had a plan in place to restore the relationship between You and humanity. You told Your people of Your plan thousands of years in advance, and You chose a young girl and a tiny town for the birth of the Savior of the world. Guide me by the Holy Spirit to worship You joyfully, love You fully, and thank You sincerely. In the name of Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen.
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All author proceeds from the devotionals will be donated to Love for the Least. The mission of L4L is to share the compassion of Christ with an unreached world. Currently they are providing food, mattresses, milk and diapers for babies, and other needs for refugees from ISIS in northern Iraq.