Daily Devotional for Monday, December 15

The Decree by Caesar

“And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed,” Luke 2:1.

Have you ever felt like you were in the right place at the right time? Maybe an overwhelming peace came over you when you realized that something seemingly inconvenient placed you exactly where you needed to be? At first glance, the decree of Caesar Augustus seemed like a mere political act, like an emperor exercising his authority over the known world, but behind this decree was the sovereign hand of God, orchestrating events to fulfill His divine plan for our redemption.

Mary and Joseph lived in Nazareth when they were expecting Jesus’ birth. Joseph had obeyed the command of the angel to take Mary into his home knowing that this baby was of God. For all they knew, the baby would be born and raised there on Joseph’s family’s estate, but the prophecy foretold that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2) and another that the Son of God would be called out of Egypt (Hosea 11:1, Matthew 2:15). Mary and Joseph had enough on their plate. They could not possibly add “come up with ways to fulfill God’s prophecies on our own” to the list. God used the greed and corruption of a ruler to bring about His purpose. Then again, He used Herod’s pride, fear, and jealousy to send Mary and Joseph to Egypt. This reminds us that even when governments, leaders or circumstances seem to dictate our lives, God is ultimately in control. He works through world events, personal struggles and even unexpected disruptions to accomplish His purposes. What appears to be a setback might be the very thing positioning us exactly where God wants us to be.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

What may seem like a disruption in your life could be God’s way of leading you to His perfect plan.

Ashley Ridings