When Jesus comes into a place, He puts it on the map! Some obscure places have become beacons to the world because God moved in that place! Almost everyone has heard of the Revival in Brownsville, the Lakeland Outpouring, the Toronto Blessing, the Azusa Street Revival, etc. Who would have thought that such insignifcant little places would become so well known! They are not the first small places that God has transformed, though!
"But, you Bethlehem, Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be ruler in Israel, whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting!" Micah 5:2
Imagine the God of all creation, everlasting, omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient! The One Who spoke the very world into existence and the One Who keeps the world spinning on its axis--this very God CHOSE to be born as a helpless infant, born to an obscure couple (not even married!), in a stable in a little town called Bethlehem! The prominent ones of society didn't welcome Him into the world. There were just that young couple, some curious little animals, and some shepherds smelling of the fields. This wasn't just the audience that HAPPENED to be there. This was the audience that Jesus CHOSE!!
It's comforting to know that God chooses the insignificant things, insignificant places, and insignificant people! It's a comforting thought, because that means I qualify!! :-)
"But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence." I Corinthians 1:27-29
It's beautiful to think that being foolish doesn't disqualify us, being weak doesn't make us the last one chosen. God's measuring stick is certainly not man's! On God's team, being the little guy makes you the first chosen to play, not the last!
Tonight as we light the Bethlehem candle on our Advent wreath, I'm going to be thinking of this very thing! God hasn't chosen me because of my great abilities. He has chosen me simply because He wanted me with no ulterior motive. "That no flesh should glory in His presence."
If you've ever felt inferior, foolish, weak, small, poor, insignificant in the big scheme of things, too old, too young, too slow, not brave enough or unknown--then Christmas is your season! It's a season to realize that God chooses you. And uses people, places, and things just like you to put to shame the things that are wise, mighty and those that glory in their own power.
It's my season! Is it yours?
And just for fun, enjoy this video and may your spirit be uplifted!
1 comment:
Yes, I guess it's my season, too.
(JSYK,I just read this AFTER my post for tomorrow is already scheduled.)
Post a Comment