11th June. 2020. Daily Devotion.

During the summer of 1982 we attended a service in the continuing Free Church of Scotland in Duthil and Tomatin, south of Inverness. It was most unusual because the minister, the Rev’d Bill Scott, preached on the nativity of Jesus, complete with Christmas Psalms and readings from Micah and the Gospels. To us it might seem strange to have a Christmas service in August, but to the Free Church people, who do not celebrate Christmas as we do, it was quite normal. From Micah 4 and 5:

It shall come to pass in the latter days
that the mountain of the house of the Lord
shall be established as the highest of the mountains –

He shall judge between many peoples,
and shall decide for strong nations far away;
and they shall beat their swords into ploughshares,
and their spears into pruning hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war anymore;
But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
who are too little to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to be ruler in Israel,
whose coming forth is from of old,
from ancient days.

And he shall stand and shepherd his flock
in the strength of the Lord,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great
to the ends of the earth. And he shall be their peace.

There are two small towns named Bethlehem in Canaan. One is up in Galilee, called Bethlehem Zebulun because it was in the allotment of land to the tribe of Zebulun. By far the more famous of the two was Bethlehem Ephrathah, also called Ephrath, just south of Jerusalem. It was the locale where the book of Ruth took place, and thus, the birthplace of David, and where David was anointed king by Samuel.

Anyway, do not be put off by the name; the Bethlehem where the Messiah was foretold to be born is the same Bethlehem where Jesus was in fact born.

As remarkable as that is, there is something even more astonishing about Micah’s messianic prophecy. Notice the end of the third paragraph, “whose coming forth is from old, from ancient days.” One version translates this verse a bit differently: “His goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity.” This is a prophecy 700 years before Christ, that the Christ who was in the beginning with God would be born in Bethlehem.

Jesus is the eternal Prince of Peace, and he calls us to peace. In these days of division and rancour, of racial violence and discrimination we always need to be reminded that Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” Be a peacemaker today and pray for grace for every peacemaker world-wide for the healing of humanity.

Prayers

O God, who orders all things in heaven and earth: Help me to go about the tasks and duties of this day with the remembrance that I am your servant therein. Make me honest, painstaking, and cheerful, and grant that all I do and say may bring good to others and glory to your Holy Name; through Jesus Christ I ask this, Amen.

For My Enemies

O God, the Father of all, whose Son commanded us to love our enemies: Lead me from anger, prejudice, and selfish pride to acceptance, love, truth, and sympathy for all people, and especially those who would be my enemies in this life; and if it is your will, enlighten those who hate me, and bring them into your holy truth, that they may find you. Deliver all of us from hatred, cruelty, and revenge; and in your good time enable us all to stand reconciled before you; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A Prayer After Reading Scripture

May the word I have read, Lord, be planted deeply in my mind and heart. Help me not to walk away and forget it, but to meditate on it and obey it and so build my life on the rock of your truth. Amen.

Are you willing to believe that love is the strongest thing in the world – stronger than hate, stronger than evil, stronger than death – and that the blessed life which began in Bethlehem nineteen hundred years ago is the image and brightness of the Eternal Love? Then you can keep Christmas. And if you can keep it for a day, why not always? ~ Henry Van Dyke, from Keeping Christmas (1924)

Keep us, good Lord,
under the shadow of your mercy
in this time of uncertainty and distress.
Sustain and support the anxious and fearful,
and lift up all who are brought low;
that we may rejoice in your comfort
knowing that nothing can separate us from your love
in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen (Prayer from Wakefield and Bristol Cathedrals).