For today’s meditation I want to read Micah 5:2, The LORD says, "Bethlehem Ephrathah, you are one of the smallest towns in Judah, but out of you I will bring a ruler for Israel, whose family line goes back to ancient times." (GNB)
The birth of the Lord Jesus in the little town of Bethlehem was prophesied 700 years earlier by the prophet Micah. God had revealed His plans to His prophets many hundreds of years before they transpired. It was a remote possibility for Jesus to be born in Bethlehem, as both Mary and Joseph were from the town of Nazareth, and there was a distance of over 100 kilometers between these two places. Nonetheless, Jesus was born in Bethlehem just as was prophesied by the prophet Micah.
The first thing we learn is that though years roll by, and it seems like the word of God may not be fulfilled, the fact is that God’s word will be accomplished in His time. Maybe there are those who feel that the promises that God made to them have not yet been actualized, and are wearied with the waiting and the delay. Let me encourage you that just as the birth of Jesus took place in God’s perfect timing, so also all the promised of God will be effectuated in your life as well.
We will study the bible to see how Mary and Joseph who were in Nazareth actually had to be in Bethlehem.
The reason Mary and Joseph went to Bethlehem
We read in Luke 2:1-6, “At that time Emperor Augustus ordered a census to be taken throughout the Roman Empire. When this first census took place, Quirinius was the governor of Syria. Everyone, then, went to register himself, each to his own hometown. Joseph went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to the town of Bethlehem in Judea, the birthplace of King David. Joseph went there because he was a descendant of David. He went to register with Mary, who was promised in marriage to him. She was pregnant, and while they were in Bethlehem, the time came for her to have her baby.” (GNB)
The order that Emperor Augustus was going to propose was known to God, and He made this known to His prophet Micah who recorded this so many hundreds of years prior to the birth of Jesus.
Every detail of our life is foreknown by God, and this should fill our hearts with courage. All the problems that we encounter may take us by surprise or be shocking to us, but remember that the Lord knows all of it. Not only does God know all of the challenges we will face, He also has a solution to all of our difficulties, and has made a way for us to overcome all of them.
I would like to place some of the incidents from the bible to help us understand this truth in a better way.
Moses’ excuse and God’s assurance
While the people of Israel labored as slaves in the land of Egypt, the Lord appeared to Moses in the burning bush and commanded him to go to Egypt, to speak to Pharaoh on behalf of the Israelites to deliver them. However, Moses gave so many excuses to God stating why this was an impossibility and here’s what he told God.
In Exodus 4:10 we read, But Moses said to the LORD, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.” (ESV)
This was God’s reply in Exodus 4:12, “Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.” (ESV)
God reassured Moses that He would be with his mouth, and teach him exactly what he was supposed to speak.
As I meditated on this verse, I realized that if each of us let God take control of our tongue, we will avoid lots of trouble and conflict, as most of the issues between people is because of what is spoken. Let us ask the Lord to be with our tongues too so that we will have the wisdom to know what we should speak, to whom, and the appropriate time to do so.
God’s alternate plan
In spite of all the assurance that God gave to Moses, he still remained unconvinced.
This was Moses’ response to God in Exodus 4:13, But he said, “Oh, my Lord, please send someone else.” (ESV)
When Moses kept on arguing with God this was the astounding response from God.
We read in Exodus 4:14, “Then the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses and he said, “Is there not Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Behold, he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart.” (ESV)
God did not get disheartened when Moses refused to accept God’s call. Instead God arranged for Aaron to be on his way to meet with Moses, and to do what Moses hesitated to do. The Lord heard all of Moses’ excuses, and assured him that he could just lead the people, and his brother Aaron would speak in his stead.
Remember that even before we encounter a problem the Lord has already made a way for us to overcome the same. We therefore need not fear, get anxious, complain or fret over any hardship that we are challenged with. Let us go to God with faith, and believe that He has a solution prepared beforehand, and we will wait patiently for God to work in our complex situations. Keep in mind that what God has planned will prevail, and nothing can hinder God’s purposes.
There are parents who are worried about their children, their future, seeing no change in some situations. The Lord assures such that the peace of your children will be great, and the Lord Himself will teach them. God who called you is faithful, and in His time He will fulfill every promise that He has made.
The people of Israel had to take an arduous journey through the wilderness. The reason for this detour through the wilderness was that the Israelites would learn to lean on the Lord, and be strengthened in their faith. We know that the wilderness was barren, and God chose Moses to lead the multitudes of Israelites, and God Himself went with him and led them. However, whenever these people encountered a difficult situation or a lack, they grumbled, were perplexed and complained.
The problem the Israelites encountered
We read in Exodus 15:22-23, “Then Moses led the people of Israel away from the Red Sea into the desert of Shur. For three days they walked through the desert, but found no water. Then they came to a place called Marah, but the water there was so bitter that they could not drink it. That is why it was named Marah.”(GNB)
The Israelites walked through the wilderness for three days, and were completely exhausted since they found no water. When they came to a place where they finally found water, they were disheartened to see that the water was bitter, and so named the place ‘Marah’ which means ‘bitter’. Water was a basic necessity, and the water that was before them was bitter, and not drinkable. Though the people of Israel had witnessed the mighty hand of God and the wonders He performed, when they encountered any trouble they murmured and grieved God with their words.
Often we too will encounter bitterness in our life’s journey. Every time we face this we must thank God for all the good things that He has done in the past, and must believe that God can take care of the situation we are challenged with.
The Israelites grumbled
We read in Exodus 15:24, And the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” (ESV)
The people grumbled against Moses, not realizing that Moses too was a human being just like any one of them.
Generally when things go bitter in our lives, we tend to blame others. We think that the other person who came into our life is the cause for all the trouble and heartache. Instead of blaming people, remember that no human being can bring bitterness or remove bitterness from our lives.
Moses cried out to the Lord
In such a situation this is what Moses did. We read about this in Exodus 15:25, “Moses cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became sweet.” (GW)
Moses was thirsty as much as everyone else was. While the people called out to Moses in desperation, Moses cried out to the Lord for His intervention. The Lord showed Moses a tree and when Moses threw the wood from that tree into the water, the bitter water was miraculously transformed to become sweet and drinkable.
The question is, ‘Who are you appealing to in times of distress?’ Instead of becoming bitter because of difficult circumstances, choose to trust God in those hard times. We must learn to wait on the Lord in the midst of all the hardships that come across our way.
Joseph’s experience
We read about Joseph, who served as a slave in Potiphar’s house, when Potiphar’s wife falsely accused Joseph and threw him in prison. This was a bitter and agonizing experience for Joseph who had done no wrong who was being treated as a criminal. It was in that same prison that the cup bearer of Pharaoh was also confined to the same prison. This encounter between the cup bearer and Joseph resulted in changing Joseph’s bitter experience into a sweet one when God raised Joseph to become the second in command to Pharaoh. We hear nothing about Potiphar’s wife after this incident, but we read the Joseph was elevated, blessed and He became a blessing to many.
Let us keep in mind that God not only can change all our bitter experiences, He can also transform them to become sweet ones. Irrespective of what we are facing the Lord can change all of our circumstances, if we are thankful to the Lord in the midst of it. The Lord will help us forget those bitter experiences, and will intervene to change them for our own good. Whenever we pass through such bitter circumstances, we can be sure that eventually we will be raised up by the Lord. Though the difficulties we face may confound us, the Lord is aware of all of it, and He has the way of escape or solution planned even before we encounter that problem.
The Lord knows it all
Jesus said in Matthew 6:8, “Do not be like them. Your Father already knows what you need before you ask him.” (GNB)
The Lord knows what our request is even before we present them to Him, and when we pray He give us a speedy answer.
The room that was ready for the Passover
Let me share another incident that is recorded in Luke Chapter 22.
We read in Luke 22:9-10, Jesus said to Peter and John, “Go and prepare the Passover meal for us to eat.”They said to him, “Where do you want us to prepare the meal?” He said to them, “When you go into the city, you will see a man carrying a jar of water. Follow him. He will go into a house.” (ERV)
When Jesus lived on this earth, He had nothing that He called His own, but all of His needs were met at the appropriate time. Jesus and His disciples needed a place to celebrate the Passover Festival, and the disciples enquired of Jesus as to where they should arrange for this. Jesus told them that when they went into the city, they would see a man who would be carrying water, and they were to follow him into the house that he would enter into. Think about the wonderful way in which God planned every detail so that the timing of the disciples entering the city, and the man going ahead of them was perfectly timed.
This thought should encourage us because God has ordered everything in our lives, and He works things out in His perfect time.
We read in Luke 22:11-13, Tell the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher asks that you please show us the room where he and his followers can eat the Passover meal.’ Then the owner will show you a large room upstairs that is ready for us. Prepare the meal there.” So Peter and John left. Everything happened the way Jesus said. So they prepared the Passover meal. (ERV)
Even before the incident happened, Jesus predicted to His disciples exactly all that would transpire with the owner of the house that they met. Every single detail from their journey, to the conversation with the owner of the house was all foretold to the disciples by Jesus. We see that everything happened exactly as Jesus mentioned, and they had this large upper room that was ready, and available for them to prepare the Passover meal.
As we come to the end of this year there may be those who are pondering about the changes that have not yet happened, and the solutions to our problems that are still evading us. God wants to remind us that in His time He will do the needful in our lives. Remember that if we hold on to God’s promise by faith, in His time He will bring all the good that He has intended for us. Let us set aside all grumblings, worries and complaining against the Lord and accept the word of God as it is.
God’s amazing plans
We read in 1 Corinthians 2:9, But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”— (ESV)
This is the amazing God that we worship. We will not murmur against God or question Him but believe that God has already planned the solution to all of the problems we encounter.
As the people of Israel journeyed through the wilderness, even before they came to the waters of Marah, God had planted a tree that could sweeten the waters. We know that it takes many long years for a tree to grow, but in God’s foreknowledge He had already planted that tree. Only when they came to that difficult situation and Moses called out to the Lord, God revealed the tree and the solution that was close at hand.
We may not see that plans that God has for us, but as we move forward with faith, God will reveal His glorious plans to us in His perfect time. As God’s children we must remember that in order to change the bitterness in our lives, Jesus the Son of God gave His life for us on the cross of Calvary. All the consequences of sin that should have come upon us fell on Jesus, and by His death and resurrection, Jesus is willing to grant us a brand new life. Though we may face bitter experiences, the Lord Jesus can change them. Thank God for all the hard paths and bitter circumstances that He has brought you out of and be encouraged to know that God will help you to triumph over all of them. The Lord will bless you and make your life a blessing to others.
Rev. F. Andrew Dixon
www.goodnewsfriends.net
Transcribed by: Sis. Esther Collins
