Wednesday, December 18, 2024

God’s Sovereign Control

Luke 2:1-4

At this point in the season, it’s hard to escape the decorations, lights, and sense of anticipation. They’re everywhere, seemingly all the time. But amidst the holiday hustle, when was the last time you stopped—really stopped—to reflect on the deeper meaning of this season? Not the Christmas season, but Advent. Advent, which means arrival, invites us into a sacred space of preparation and longing. It reminds us that something transformative is on the horizon.

Mary and Joseph also navigated challenges and wonders leading to the birth of our Savior. Perhaps they, too, knew something transformative was on the horizon.

God Creates a Way

Today, we reflect on God’s sovereign control in the coming of Jesus in the gospel of Luke.

Luke 2:1-4(NIV)
“In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 
 And everyone went to their own town to register.
So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David."

If we didn’t know the story of Jesus’ birth and only had the individual facts leading up to it, it might be hard to believe how everything could come together. A poor, virgin girl pregnant with the Messiah, an uneasy fiancé, and the three of them in a small town called Nazareth—all needing to travel to Bethlehem to fulfill God’s promise that the Messiah would come from there. Yet, Bethlehem was 90 miles away on foot. What reason would they have to make that journey, especially in the final month of pregnancy?

It seems like a daredevil act—how could they possibly make it? But when God makes a promise, He always keeps it. Even if it means moving the Emperor of the world. Caesar Augustus issued a decree that families must register in their hometowns. This prompted the poor, young family from Nazareth to embark on a 90-mile journey so that the Messiah could be born in Bethlehem. God has the power to do whatever He wants, whenever He wants, through whomever He wants.

Always Working

Sometimes, it’s difficult to see what God is doing or to trust that He is in control. In those moments of doubt, we can remember the miraculous way God orchestrated events for Jesus’ birth—moving kings, shepherds, wise men, and angels into place at just the right time.

What specific thing do you need to hand over to God, trusting that He is working in your life?

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