Humble Beginnings - Touch
A tiny insignificant town, a lowly birth - humble beginnings that launched radical transformation! This prayer station provokes a powerful reflection of what God can do with our ‘little’.
Digitally explore this prayer station through the sese of touch.
Scripture: ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are not just an insignificant village in Judah. A ruler will come from you who will be like a shepherd for my people Israel.’ (Matthew 2:6)
Here in Matthew we read a paraphrasing of Micah 5:2 and Samuel 5:2. We see the beautiful antithesis that Bethlehem, though small in size, is mighty in significance – not by its own merit, but because of who it will hold. The parallel to our lives today is just as true: we hold little significance on our own, but as children of God we gain overwhelming worth, power, peace and righteousness through the authority of Jesus and his Spirit that resides within us.
We are not to be fooled by the physical reality of what may seem ‘small’ or ‘insignificant,’ for the might of God supersedes any physical limitations. 1 Corinthians 1:27 says, ‘God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong’ (RSV). The Jews in Jesus’ time were expecting a physically dominating ruler and military leader, who would free them from Roman oppression. Jesus, however, arrived in humility, in an overlooked little town surrounded by rough straw and worn cloth – sacred beginnings erupting into socially ‘unholy’ settings.
The events of Jesus’ birth would have seemed shocking for a baby of such importance, yet they were a powerful statement from a loving Saviour. He led with love and peace and set us free from much more than earthly oppression. The freedom that Jesus brought conquered spiritual, eternal oppression; he focused on a spiritual kingdom ‘not of this world’ (John 18:36). From a town known for its farming and shepherding came the ultimate shepherd, the sacrificial lamb, who taught us to look at the world from an unfamiliar perspective.
As you sit at the prayer station, take a breath and interact with what you find surrounding you, allowing the words of this devotional to wash over you.
Feel the texture of simplicity found around the baby Jesus – the rough straw, the worn cloth. Bethlehem was overlooked and seemingly insignificant, yet it cradled the King of kings.
Hold something small in your hands – reflect on Matthew 2:6 and the worth and might that Jesus can bring to all things.
Spend time in prayer with Jesus and make room for him to speak to you. Give thanks to him for all he has done in, through and around you. There is a prayer journal resource to make use of, should this support your prayer time.
You may want to prayerfully consider these reflective questions:
What humble place in your life might hold divine potential?
Where have physical appearances fooled you into overlooking something mighty in significance?
In what ways might God be working through unexpected places or people today?
What small thing in your life might God use for something extraordinary?
You may wish to use a piece of paper or the notes app on your phone to journal your thoughts.
We often notice God in the grand and the obvious, but forget that he is also the God of the whisper. Scripture reminds us that he delights in the small, the hidden and the humble. Bethlehem was a quiet town. The manger was a rough cradle. The star was just a speck in the sky. And yet, through these little things, God revealed his greatest gift!
This journal is a space to notice the small, to listen closely, and to invite God to speak through what might otherwise be overlooked.
Write to God about the little things you’re thankful for today. Let your gratitude be specific, simple, and sincere.
Offer a prayer about something small in your life that you hope God will use for something greater. Ask him to breathe life into what feels ordinary!
Give space to think on these reflective questions. Let them stir your spirit and open space for God to speak:
What humble place in your life might hold divine potential?
Where have physical appearances fooled you into overlooking something mighty in significance?
In what ways might God be working through unexpected places or people today?
What small thing in your life might God use for something extraordinary?
Leave space to write what you feel God is saying to you. It may come as a word, an image, a memory, or a quiet conviction. Let this be a place of encounter.
You may wish to use a piece of paper to journal your thoughts.
We can pray to God in many ways, including through our writing!
When you write, write to God; he sees each word and listens closely. God may even speak back to you by bringing thoughts to your mind and emotions to your heart as you write.
The star that the wise men followed would have looked so small up in the sky! But this star was given by God to lead them to the baby Jesus. Sometimes we can miss the little things God gives us.
Can you think of something that made you smile this week? Thank Jesus for that little gift.
Bethlehem, where Jesus was born, was a tiny town tucked away in the hills. That’s why, when Mary and Joseph arrived, there wasn’t even a proper room for them to stay in. Jesus was born in a place where animals slept, surrounded by rough straw. And yet, from that little, overlooked town came the biggest story in the world!
Is there something small in your life – a talent, a dream, a conversation – you’d like Jesus to use in a big way? Write it down and ask him to help.
God came to earth as a baby. He grew as a child, just like you. Jesus sees and knows all the little things about you and has been through lots of it himself too. All of our worries and needs matter to him – no matter how little they may seem.
Is there something on your heart today – maybe a worry, a hope, or a question? Write it to Jesus. He’s listening.