When Life Is DisruptedShembull

When Life Is Disrupted, Trust God

Joseph and Mary were in Nazareth when Mary became pregnant. Caesar Augustus who ruled over the vast Roman Empire sent a decree that “all the world should be registered” (Lk. 2:1). This census was conducted to determine the number of people who can be taxed and the number of men who can be inducted into military service. Now Joseph had to take his pregnant wife to Bethlehem as it was his native place. We don’t like an unexpected journey, do we? I like to plan my travel well in advance. But during emergencies, there’s no other way. I have to plan things immediately and get on the road to travel.

The Lord used this Roman census to fulfill his purposes. Micah 5:2 says that the Messiah will be born in Bethlehem. God orchestrated different events to fulfill this prophecy. God used the decree of a Roman Emperor to accomplish his purposes. While Joseph and Mary were at Bethlehem, the time came for Mary to give birth. There was no place for them in the inn (v. 7), probably because many people had come to Bethlehem to register for the census. Eventually, Jesus was placed in a manger.

In several nativity scenes, the manger looks cozy, but the surroundings on that first Christmas were dark and dirty. Talk about disruption. This is it. I’m sure any man would want his wife to give delivery to their baby in a secure and neat environment. The amazing thing is that the greatest and most glorious person in the entire universe was born in an obscure village in Judea and placed in a manger! Imagine how difficult it would have been for Joseph and Mary. Though our text doesn’t explicitly mention this, it’s clear that they trusted God in all these difficult circumstances. 

Probably, your life is disrupted right now. May I encourage you to trust in the Lord? Psalm 62:8 says, “Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us.” Yes, we don’t have the big picture. We see only in part. But God sees the end from the beginning. Our lives may be disrupted, but God is never surprised. That’s why we must trust that he is in control and that he will take care of us. We don’t have to understand all the details to trust him. We can trust God because of his character. Even when your dream becomes a nightmare, trust God. He is trustworthy!