The Story of Christmas, Day 6: Thursday, December 1 – Micah 5:2-5 Ordinary People

On the sixth day of Christmas, my Bible said to me...God works through what is ordinary and unimpressive to accomplish his mighty deeds. 

Today's Reading: Micah 5:2-5

2 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.
3 Therefore he shall give them up until the time
    when she who is in labor has given birth;
then the rest of his brothers shall return
    to the people of Israel.
4 And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord,
    in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great
    to the ends of the earth.
5 And he shall be their peace.

Devotional Thoughts

Jerusalem was abuzz with speculation as this band of strange men from the east rode through town asking questions about the "one born king of the Jews." Finally, after they were brought before Herod, the scribes of the Temple were asked to give an answer to the question of where Israel's Messiah was to have been born. They consulted the scrolls and brought back an answer from the scroll of Micah, what is now known as Micah 5:2.

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,

It was Bethlehem, the little town in the hill country south of Jerusalem, where the Promised One would be born. A little, insignificant town. A home to shepherds and peasants - it's only claim to fame had been the shepherd from Bethlehem who had been anointed king a thousand years before after slaying a giant. From this insignificant town, God would bring forth the greatest man in world history.

That is how God works. God does not stand in awe of human greatness nor does he kowtow to talent, looks, brains, beauty, or any other human distinction. The Christmas story is a great example of the pattern of God. God uses ordinary people (and places) to do his extraordinary works so that it is clear that the power is his and so that the glory goes to him.

God sent an angel to an insignificant peasant woman in a disrespected town in Galilee called Nazareth. "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" That was an honest question. Joseph and Mary were not Ken and Barbie, they had no haloes, they were not the best and the brightest of Nazareth. They were a couple of normal people whom God chose by grace for the greatest honor of history - to be the earthly parents of the heavenly child.

When the time came, God sent them, in fulfillment of prophecy, to the little village of Bethlehem. It may have been busy because of the census, but it was nowheresville! Seriously, if God's Son was going to be born, you'd think it would be to the high priest, in Jerusalem, or maybe even in Rome or some other royal palace. But that isn't the way God works.

Jesus came in humility and dishonor, to serve. He came as a nobody, to die. His reason for coming was not to achieve wealth or fame or popularity but to obey the Father and accomplish his work in this world. It was the Father's plan that drove him not the things of the world.

My friend, God doesn't care about how you look. Whether you can sing or dance or play ball mean little in the kingdom. You don't need to be famous or popular to serve God. You simply need to be humble, yielded, and obedient.

God can do great things with a humble, yielded, NOBODY. He will not use a self-important somebody!

It is sad that even the American church has bought into the celebrity model which is so foreign to the way God works. He's not looking for stars but for servants. He's not looking for the famous but for the obedient. He doesn't need your talent, just your humble heart.

It's time that we adopted the true spirit of Christmas and realized that God uses ordinary (perhaps even below average) people and does his extraordinary work through them.

Thank you, Father, that your work depends on your power and grace and not on my ability. Do your mighty work through me.

Think and Pray

Do you ever feel like you have to be talented, famous, or have some kind of human ability to serve God and be significant in his kingdom?
Remember today that it is your humility and obedience that God requires and nothing else. The power is his!
Thank him for that and review your attitudes and actions in the light of that truth.

Carol of the Day

O little town of Bethlehem

How still we see thee lie

Above thy deep and dreamless sleep

The silent stars go by

Yet in thy dark streets shineth

The everlasting Light

The hopes and fears of all the years

Are met in thee tonight