“In the fullness of time God sent his Son…” (Galatians 4:4-5) to just the right place—Bethlehem.  Throughout scripture the events of Divine intervention often happened at small and insignificant places.  The fulfillment of Micah’s prophecy of the incarnational birth of Christ Jesus made the insignificant place of Bethlehem extremely significant.

                        “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,

                        though you are small among the clans of Judah,

                        out of you will come for me 

                        one who will be ruler over Israel,

                        whose origins are from of old,

                        from ancient times.”              (Micah 5:2)

     The backstory (I Samuel 16) of David’s birth in Bethlehem and his rise from boy shepherd tending sheep, possibly for the annual Passover sacrifices in Jerusalem just six miles away, to the King of Israel, is filled with imagery of the life and mission of Christ.  The infant Jesus in a manager which was sometimes used by the shepherds to lay and protect newborn lambs so their dumb mothers wouldn’t step on them, became the sacrificial Lamb of God who was sent to take away our sin.  Mixing metaphors, Jesus became our good shepherd and is now our anticipated coming King.  The insignificance of Bethlehem and the manger were given great significance by the entrance of the Christ-child.

     I too have a rather insignificant place where Jesus humbles himself to meet with me when I humbly pursue him. I spend every morning in my “cave”, our one-car garage minus the car.  While it’s neat and organized it’s not a place I would invite visitors to see.  There is nothing of interest nor pleasing to the eye. I have no candles, no altar, no incense, no statues, no pictures and no crosses. My blood-stained floor is due to one of my self-inflicted injuries.  Shelves are loaded with planting pots, luggage, antiques and tools.  Stacks of deck chairs and a very used Lazy boy rocker found on a curb in our neighborhood occupy additional floor space.  My workbench is cluttered with Bibles and manuscripts.  It’s a small and insignificant place to everyone but me.  Why?  Because God humbles himself and regularly dares to show up when I listen for his voice in the scriptures and speak with him in response. Nothing audible or visible happens.  I’m not a saint or a mystic or delusional.  I think I’m quite common and simple-minded.

      I’m reminded of another insignificant garage in which God did something very significant.     Barbara visited our church plant, but her husband Paul was not only an unbeliever but rather resistant to his wife’s faith.  It took several years for Paul and me to become good friends.  One day he invited me into his garage to see his woodworking shop on the second floor.  The floor was covered with sawdust and wood shavings. Paul’s hobby was building furniture. We had just finished our first church building and needed a three-dimensional five-foot wooden cross in the worship center.  I asked Paul that day, “If you’ll build the cross, I’ll stain and finish it.”  We did and then hung the cross together.  A year later, Paul committed his life to Jesus as his Savior.  He told me, “Building that cross opened my heart”.  My friend, Paul, reminds me of Lydia of Thyatira in Acts 16 whom “The Lord opened her heart…” God showed up in another insignificant place filled with sawdust to bring salvation.

     The exalted Christ, who humbled himself to become one of us and died on a cross to save us, still humbles himself by entering manger-like places to bring his love, joy and peace.  Do you have a manger-like place to meet and talk with Jesus each day? Do you have a secret place for fellowship with Him?  If not, find one and that place will become significant for you.