Today let’s read a verse from the book of the prophet named Micah: “Bethlehem Ephrathah, you are small among the clans of Judah; one will come from you to be ruler over Israel for me. His origin is from antiquity, from eternity” (Micah 5:2, HCSB).
What a great passage! How awesome to read its fulfillment throughout the New Testament! Let’s take a look at two connected passages:
“After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, wise men from the east arrived unexpectedly in Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him’” (Matthew 2:1-2).
“And Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family line of David, to be registered along with Mary, who was engaged to him and was pregnant. While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. Then she gave birth to her firstborn son, and she wrapped him snugly in cloth and laid him in a feeding trough – because there was no room for them at the inn” (Luke 2:4-7).
It was no accident that Caesar Augustus ordered a census that would cause Joseph and Mary to travel from their hometown to Bethlehem. It was no accident that it was at that time that Mary gave birth to the Child the Holy Spirit had placed within her. God had promised that the “ruler over Israel” would come from this humble little village, and Christ’s earthly life began right there in a stable.
And it was certainly no coincidence that God placed a special Light in the sky to guide the “wise men from the east” to come and worship Jesus. Bear in mind, too, that these men didn’t jump into their cars or catch a plane to get to Bethlehem. They traveled so far and for so long that Scripture records that “When they were come into the house, they saw the young child” (Matthew 2:11). Most scholars agree that Jesus was already a toddler and that his parents had taken up residence in a house in Bethlehem before returning to Nazareth.
Are you grasping the significance of the timeframe here? The “wise men” sought Jesus diligently, and yet their efforts weren’t rewarded overnight – it took time and persistence, faithfulness to their goal. Likewise, we as believers may set out on many a plan that we truly believe to be a direction God is leading us in. But, unlike the “wise men,” when we don’t quickly “arrive” or achieve what we thought we were going to, we become discouraged and stop our efforts.
Beloved, God doesn’t quit on you, so don’t you quit on Him! Sure, reevaluate your direction; reexamine your goals and be sure they’re in alignment with God’s calling on your life – He most certainly has a calling and direction for each and every one of us. But once you’re assured you’re not heading off in the wrong direction, get back at it and hang tough for the long run.
Which brings up another point. GOD CALLS NO ONE TO DO NOTHING. You are not called to sit and wait on your calling. You are called to get with the program and do whatever you can for the glory of God until such time as you feel a stronger or more compelling leading into a different or clearer direction.
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