Faithful to Every Detail
Scripture Reading:
Micah 5:2 (NASB95) "But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity."
Matthew 1:18-25 (NASB95) "Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly. But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, 'Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.' Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: 'Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,' which translated means, 'God with us.' And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife, but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus."
Cowboy Wisdom: A trail boss planning a cattle drive thinks through every detail—where the water holes are, when to rest the herd, which route avoids the worst terrain. But even the best trail boss can't predict everything. God's different. Seven hundred years before Jesus was born, God told Micah exactly where the Messiah would be born—not in Jerusalem, the capital, but in little Bethlehem. And when Mary and Joseph were 80 miles away in Nazareth just a week before the birth, God used a Roman emperor's decree to get them right where they needed to be. Now that's attention to detail.
Over 300 prophecies about the Messiah were fulfilled in Jesus Christ. The odds of just eight of them coming true by chance? One in one hundred quadrillion. You're more likely to win the lottery, get struck by lightning, and die in a plane crash—all in the same year—than for those prophecies to randomly come true.
God wasn't making it up as He went along. From Genesis to Revelation, He had a plan. And if He was faithful to fulfill every detail about Jesus' first coming, you can trust He'll be faithful to fulfill His promises about everything else—including His promises to you.
Questions for Reflection:
When has God's perfect timing surprised you by working out in ways you couldn't have orchestrated yourself?
What promises from Scripture do you need to trust God to fulfill in your life?
How does God's faithfulness in the past encourage you to trust Him with your future?
Prayer Focus: Praise God for His faithfulness through the generations. Thank Him that nothing catches Him by surprise and that He's working out His purposes even when you can't see it. Ask for patience to wait on His timing and wisdom to see His hand at work in your circumstances.
