Our reading is Luke 2:4-5
“Joseph also went up from Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, since he was from the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to him in marriage and was expecting a child.”
This seemed like bad timing. Caesar passes a law, and Joseph and Mary have to respond with a very difficult trip. Joseph didn’t ask for the decree. Mary didn’t request the journey. Yet Caesar’s order sent them trudging eighty miles over rugged hills and wilderness paths. Picture Joseph’s furrowed brow as he packed provisions. Imagine Mary’s quiet sigh as she adjusted her swollen frame for an eighty mile walk. To them, the timing was hard. A pregnant bride. A weary husband. A road that stretched farther than their strength.
Isn’t that how life often feels? A summons we didn’t expect. A burden we didn’t choose. A path that looks more like punishment than providence. We wonder, “Is this really good?”
Joseph and Mary likely wondered the same. Yet what looked like hardship was heaven’s design. The prophecy required Bethlehem. The Savior’s birthplace was set long before Caesar’s decree. What seemed like a bad idea was God’s perfect plan.
We too don’t know ahead of time whether the road is good or bad. But God sees the Bethlehem beyond the road. He knows the manger is waiting at the end.
So when your journey feels hard, remember Joseph and Mary. Remember that God’s wisdom outpaces our worry. He still knows what is best. Trust Him.
I’m Lonnie Davis, and these are thoughts worth thinking.