Verse of the Day 12/15

Verse of the Day 12/15

Micah 5:2

New International Version

2 "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,

    though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me
    one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,
    from ancient times."

One of my favorite Christmas hymns is "O Little Town of Bethlehem", especially the line "the hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight".  God sent His Son Jesus to this little town as He said He would.  After 400 years of silence from the time of Malachi until His birth the world was waiting.  Now those hopes were to come true, the Savior, the Messiah was to be born.

Max Lucado writes, "The Christmas season prompts Christmas questions—and answers. Because of Bethlehem, God is always near us. Always for us. Always in us. We may forget him, but God will never forget us. He called himself Immanuel—God with us!  Because of Bethlehem,"  

1 O little town of Bethlehem,
how still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
the silent stars go by.
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
the everlasting light;
the hopes and fears of all the years
are met in thee tonight.

2 For Christ is born of Mary;
and, gathered all above,
while mortals sleep, the angels keep
their watch of wond'ring love.
O morning stars, together
proclaim the holy birth,
and praises sing to God the King,
and peace to men on earth.

3 How silently, how silently,
the wondrous gift is giv'n!
So God imparts to human hearts
the blessings of His heav'n.
No ear may hear His coming,
but in this world of sin,
where meek souls will receive Him still,
the dear Christ enters in.

4 O holy Child of Bethlehem,
descend to us, we pray;
cast out our sin and enter in;
be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels,
the great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide with us,

our Lord Emmanuel!

Bethlehem, a seemingly insignificant little town, yet God planned to send His gift to us through this little town, and Jesus, Immanuel, is still with us.

Blessings,

Mike

Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com

Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace.  NIV

Micah 5:1-5

New International Version

A Promised Ruler From Bethlehem

5 [a]Marshal your troops now, city of troops,
    for a siege is laid against us.
They will strike Israel's ruler
    on the cheek with a rod.

2 "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
    though you are small among the clans[b] of Judah,
out of you will come for me
    one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,
    from ancient times."

3 Therefore Israel will be abandoned
    until the time when she who is in labor bears a son,
and the rest of his brothers return
    to join the Israelites.

4 He will stand and shepherd his flock
    in the strength of the Lord,
    in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they will live securely, for then his greatness
    will reach to the ends of the earth.

5 And he will be our peace