Christmas Eve Devotion || The Christmas Account

There’s all kinds of amazing things that take place in the Christmas account, but one of the things that we get a little look into in the Christmas account that’s sometimes overlooked is the fact that it gives us a little insight as to how God rules the world. Why did Mary and Joseph have to travel to Bethlehem? It’s because way off in Rome, a Caesar named Augustus sent out a decree that a census needed to be taken of the entire Roman world. Because of that census, Mary and Joseph had to travel from Nazareth down to Bethlehem when she was, oh, exactly nine months pregnant. Did Caesar Augustus have any idea the impact of his census decree that it would cause Mary and Joseph to travel to Bethlehem at exactly the right time? So that Jesus would be born at exactly the place where God had prophesied? Oh, I’m sure Caesar Augustus had no clue whatsoever. But did God know what He was doing? Absolutely so. God gets His work done not only through His people, but He gets His work done through people who are against Him. Caesar Augustus was, as far as we know, a complete pagan, and yet Caesar Augustus was actually doing the work of the Lord, and he had no clue. How many things is God getting done in our world today that we have no clue about, but God is working for the good of his people? I’m sure it’s tons and tons and tons of things. And may that be one of the things that brings peace to our heart this Christmas season.