“Now you are walled around with a wall; siege is laid against us; with a rod they strike the ruler of Israel upon the cheek. But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah, who are one of the little clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to rule in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days. Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has brought forth; then the rest of his kindred shall return to the people of Israel. And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth; and he shall be the one of peace. If the Assyrians come into our land and tread upon our soil, we will raise against them seven shepherds and eight installed as rulers. They shall rule the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod with the drawn sword; they shall rescue us from the Assyrians if they come into our land or tread within our border. Then the remnant of Jacob, surrounded by many peoples, shall be like dew from the Lord, like showers on the grass, which do not depend upon people or wait for any mortal. And among the nations the remnant of Jacob, surrounded by many peoples, shall be like a lion among the animals of the forest, like a young lion among the flocks of sheep, which, when it goes through, treads down and tears in pieces, with no one to deliver. Your hand shall be lifted up over your adversaries, and all your enemies shall be cut off.” Micah 5: 1-9

The Gentle Work of Creation

By Jeff Christian

As Jesus draws us nearer to him, we cannot help but become more like the Savior. During the season of Advent, we anticipate what the Lord has in store for our lives. How will Jesus shape us, create us, use us for glory?

We find ourselves somewhere in the middle of creation. The Lord has already done so much in our lives. Jesus has brought us salvation and taught us how to follow the way of ultimate truth. All we have to do is say “Yes” each day as we follow Jesus.

Since Jesus is from the beginning, “whose origin is from old, from ancient of days,” we join the Savior in the work that began before time. Micah 5 promises that “he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord.” Micah wrote this because his audience was mainly the leaders, the national figures who were so overtaken by their own greed that they forgot to care for the poor. This is likely why Micah 5:7 speaks of our dependence upon God far above the politicians and celebrities who fade faster than a twice-marked-down shirt off the sale rack.

God always preserves a remnant of the faithful, those who repent with gratitude, those of us who anticipate more to come. We need no credentials to apply, much less to continue. So, we meet Jesus in a manger, a gentle reminder that the entire world is made new in the humblest of moments.