Scripture

Micah 5:2, 4-5 ESV

But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.…And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth. And he shall be their peace.

Consider

Just as David, the youngest of Jesse’s sons, was the least likely to be chosen as king of Israel, so was tiny Bethlehem the least likely birthplace to be chosen for the Son of God. And just as God’s favor fell on Mary, a humble teenaged girl, and her faithful but barren elderly cousin Elizabeth, granting them both motherhood most unexpectedly, so does God choose and favor his children today in ways that can seem to us strange and unlikely.

In our most unwelcome and hurtful circumstances, we may very well fail to recognize God’s steadfast goodness and favor to us. At the heart of a loss or a bad choice, a failed relationship or a tragedy that shifts our life course, God always provides a seed that can grow and nurture us in unexpected ways and fill our emptiness with hope and peace that can only be explained as supernatural. God’s movement in our life’s journey is always faithful to his promises but can be distressingly unpredictable. God’s answer to our prayers is reliable but not always in the timing or the form we would prefer.

When life surprises us, we do well to look for the holy seed of God’s grace and yield ourselves to God’s good and profitable will for our lives in circumstances that, on the surface, seem to hold little promise of a good outcome. We can follow Mary’s example, who responded to the angel’s startling and even troubling announcement with trust and a calm spirit: “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”

Pray

Good and Gracious Father, thank you sending your Son in humble and uncertain circumstances that we humans can relate to. Help me to appreciate your favor on me, especially when it is hidden inside a hurtful or unwelcome circumstance. Grant me the hope and peace I can only find in trusting obedience to your word and will.

Reflect

Luke 1:26-45; 1 Peter 5:6

Ponder

How might I see the favor of God in a hurtful circumstance?