Merry Christmas from the National House of Prayer
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that
all the world should be registered.
Some of the events around the birth of Christ are both spectacular and awe inspiring: like the announcement to a virgin, Mary; the declaration of the heavenly host; the magi from the east; and so on. Some of these events may not appear that spectacular at first, but digging a little deeper can bring forth some wonderful truths. Case in point is this short verse, (quoted above), found in Luke's gospel, chapter 2 verse 1, where one could easily pass over an amazing truth of the God Who Is In Control, which I was recently reminded of in a devotional by John Piper.
Micah (5:2) had prophesied that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, but Joseph and Mary were living in Nazareth. No problem! The sovereign God simply put it into the mind of the most powerful political leader of the day, Emperor Caesar Augustus, that all the Roman world should be enrolled, each in his own town.
Now, take the time and bring this amazing truth into your own life and circumstances. Here is God orchestrating world events to bring two, apparently insignificant people, to Bethlehem on that first Christmas to serve God's greater purposes. How big is our God? If any of us ever wrestle with feelings of being insignificant in a world of seven billion people and world powers jostling for position, take heart with this truth: even the great powers in our world are being guided by God, not for their sake, but for the sake of God's purposes and His people around the world!
"The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord;
he turns it wherever he will."(Pr. 21:1)
In what is becoming an increasingly turbulent and uncertain world, let's keep our perspective at this Christmas time, and rejoice in a God who sees us and is working out his eternal purposes for us on the world stage.
Rob Parker & Fran Parker