“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

Prophecy stated that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem – possibly the most unlikely place God could choose! Micah tells us that Bethlehem Ephrata was a small town, too little to be the Messiah´s place of birth according to our expectations.

Bethlehem (“house of bread”) appears in Scripture several times. Rachel, Jacob´s wife, died near Bethlehem when she gave birth to Benjamin and she was buried nearby (Gen 35:16-20). It’s the city where Naomi and Ruth arrived and there, Boaz married Ruth. It´s also King David´s hometown. And, even more important, the Jews knew that their Messiah would come from Bethlehem (John 7:42).

God selected the “little town of Bethlehem” as the place where the King of the Jews was to be born. We would assume that the Son of God would come to a great city like Athens or Jerusalem, but He was born in a humble stable in Bethlehem. God chose the unimportant, the small, the unexpected.

That´s one of the things that I love about God. He can do anything with anybody – anywhere. Maybe you are feeling like Bethlehem, too small to be able to be used by God. Maybe you are afraid of pursuing the dream God has placed in your heart because you feel that´s too big of a task for you. God will use you in an amazing way if you let Him do it. The only thing He needs is a willing heart. He will do the rest. He will guide you and give you the strength to do anything He has planned for you.

Dear Father, You chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; You chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; You chose what is low and humble so that no human might boast in anything but Your presence. I praise You because don’t focus on big or small – You can use anybody willing to obey You.

_________________________________________

Looking for our Savior journal? Look no further! Grab yours here!

Angela Perritt

Angela Perritt is the founder and director of LoveGodGreatly.com, a nonprofit online Bible study ministry reaching thousands of women in over two hundred countries around the world with God’s Word through their translated Bible studies. She and her husband live in Dallas, Texas with their three daughters. Angela is passionate about God’s Word and believes one woman in God’s Word can change a family, community and ultimately a nation. Her greatest joy is to encourage her children and others to love God greatly with their lives one day at a time. You can connect with her on Instagram.