week 3 mornin’ juice (Bethlehem)

6421 miles

245 marathons

12 hours to fly direct if flying at 500 mph

that’s the distance from Murfreesboro, TN to Bethlehem, the city of David, the town where Jesus Christ was born. 6421 miles, that’s a bunch of steps.

Micah 5:2 – “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village in Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel will come from you, one whose origins are from the distant past.”

approximately 700 years prior to:

Luke 2:4-5, 7, 15 – “And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. He took with him Mary, his fiancée, who was obviously pregnant by this time. She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped Him snugly in strips of cloth and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the village inn. When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, ‘Come on, let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this wonderful thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.’”

John 7:42 – “For the Scriptures clearly state that the Messiah will be born of the royal line of David, in Bethlehem, the village where King David was born.”

Holy smolies we continue to be reminded of what’s to come approximately 700 years prior to Mary and Joseph walking the final steps from Galilee. Steps taken to conform to the mandate of Caesar Augustus to have everyone be counted. A mandate from an earthly king, marching in the entrance of the heavenly King. Steps being taken by a woman carrying the one who when born would be the start of our being able to be reborn. Wonder how many breaks she had to take so she could catch her breath. Breath that may have been in short supply due to the anticipation of the birth, shortness of breath in the walking any distance while 9 months pregnant walking with her man. Longing for a place to rest, they were stepping toward destiny in the town of Bethlehem.

Joseph slowly, patiently guiding his soon to be bride through the streets of a town that carried his family lineage. Would the inhabitants of the city of David notice? Would they notice the baby bump? Where was Mary waiting for her man, when he returned from each knock of the door to hear NO ROOM….Joseph, did you ever doubt in this moment? Dude, you must have been driven by the remembrance of the conversations you had with the angel who assured you to take Mary as your bride. The conversations (prayers) with God to affirm that yes, indeed you would help HIM father HIS son . And now to find a place for your creator to be born.

Bethlehem I mean really. this little town. Joseph when did the “oh yea” light come? Or Did the connection occur from prophets words from 700 years to this moment, as you kept knocking, kept asking, kept stepping until the stable, the trough, was the place where lives would be forever changed. Mary did you ever consider or wonder if Bethlehem would hear your screams as the God in you became the God with jesUS (Immanuel)?

Thank you Lord
there is no distance too vast, no time too long for you to step through in Jesus Christ

praying everyone to beLIeVE He will be the only source for peace on earth!