Advent - Day 5
“But you, Bethlehemi Ephrathah,
though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me
one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,
from ancient times.”
Micah 5:2
Full Readings: Micah 5:1-4, Mathew 2:3-12
It’s the fifth day of the first week of Advent. A week of hope. A week to reflect on the anticipation of the birth of Jesus Christ, the Messiah.
What’s in a birthplace? Well, let’s consider. Let’s consider a child born in Kherson (Ukraine) vs Sydney. Or one born in Beijing compared to Taiwan. Or Qatar as opposed to Israel. Even within a country. In Australia, we might expect a very different start to life for a child born in a private Sydney hospital and one born in an Indigenous community in the Northern Territory.
Where you are born matters. So, what if you could choose where you would be born. Where would you choose? Maybe you are modest and you would just say, somewhere clean and safe. What about if you really wanted to make a difference? What if you wanted to change everything… I know, I’ll be born into the White House.
God chose a barn in Bethlehem, a small rural town in the countryside of Israel. That’s where He was born. To a poor family with no links to power other than an almost forgotten blood-line. He could have been born in the palace. He chose poverty.
In His choice, God shows us something of Himself. He loves to confound the world. He does things His way. In a way that displays a wisdom, a power, a love and a humility so different to anything we should expect. And it’s wonderful.
For Today:
Pray:
Praise the Father that He is the God who is great and worthy of all praise.
Give thanks for Jesus who chose to be born amongst us, not in the palace but in poverty.
Ask God for His Holy Spirit to help you and others see the kindness of God in Jesus Christ.
though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me
one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,
from ancient times.”
Micah 5:2
Full Readings: Micah 5:1-4, Mathew 2:3-12
It’s the fifth day of the first week of Advent. A week of hope. A week to reflect on the anticipation of the birth of Jesus Christ, the Messiah.
What’s in a birthplace? Well, let’s consider. Let’s consider a child born in Kherson (Ukraine) vs Sydney. Or one born in Beijing compared to Taiwan. Or Qatar as opposed to Israel. Even within a country. In Australia, we might expect a very different start to life for a child born in a private Sydney hospital and one born in an Indigenous community in the Northern Territory.
Where you are born matters. So, what if you could choose where you would be born. Where would you choose? Maybe you are modest and you would just say, somewhere clean and safe. What about if you really wanted to make a difference? What if you wanted to change everything… I know, I’ll be born into the White House.
God chose a barn in Bethlehem, a small rural town in the countryside of Israel. That’s where He was born. To a poor family with no links to power other than an almost forgotten blood-line. He could have been born in the palace. He chose poverty.
In His choice, God shows us something of Himself. He loves to confound the world. He does things His way. In a way that displays a wisdom, a power, a love and a humility so different to anything we should expect. And it’s wonderful.
For Today:
- Are you surprised by Jesus’ birth?
- What do you think it shows about God?
- Give God praise for who He is today.
Pray:
Praise the Father that He is the God who is great and worthy of all praise.
Give thanks for Jesus who chose to be born amongst us, not in the palace but in poverty.
Ask God for His Holy Spirit to help you and others see the kindness of God in Jesus Christ.
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