Unsnarling

"O Bethlehem Ephrathah, from you will come a ruler in Israel for me," Micah 5:2.

That line came more than 7 centuries before Jesus was born. The prophet foretold the Assyrian destruction of Israel. Because the people worshiped the lie. And killed children to appease their idols. In the middle of the destruction foretelling, suddenly the prophet talks about a ruler from the little town of Bethlehem who'll save the leftovers. Fast forward. When the magi from the East (remember the star-followers?) lost their way to a new kid-king, how did they get back on track? King Herod's researchers found that old line. That's how they knew to find him in Bethlehem. God's been setting up things for a long, long time, to fix the big, big mess we've made.

With a brother or sister today, we reflect on the centuries God's been resolving his promise. The blessing promise, no lie, to Abraham and Sarah, 4,000 years ago. God's unsnarling our mess. And, together, we give thanks that we, too, get blessed.