Devotional

We all know the Christmas story. Jesus was born in Bethlehem. This location was important because the prophecies of the Old Testament affirmed the location of the birth of the Messiah. But Mary and Joseph lived in Nazareth, in Galilee. So how was God going to get them to Bethlehem? When the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and Joseph, he did not instruct them to move to Bethlehem. The closer Mary was to giving birth, the less likely she would be to travel. But out of the blue, the emperor issues a decree to take a census. Suddenly it became a requirement for Joseph and Mary to travel back to their ancestral town of Bethlehem.

It is amazing how the intricate threads of history are woven together by God. The timing of the pregnancy with the order of the emperor was masterful. And God revealed it generations earlier. I suppose Augustus thought he had absolute authority, and in some ways he did. But God works in and through all things in order to bring about his will.

Some people become discouraged by what is happening in the world. But examples like this one show us that God is in complete control. Let us not become fearful of world leaders or current events. But learn to totally trust God by seeing how he has worked in the past.

God bless you and your family,
Brett