Session 16

How God Uses Small Beginnings

From Join the Chorus!

“And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah.” - Matthew 2:6

Child of God, step away from the ledge of discouragement today. Push back from the silent table of despair and sing aloud the promises of God! At times, we’ve all felt small and insignificant. We’ve all quietly wondered if our little obscure lives matter in the big scheme of everything. We’ve questioned our importance, our relevance, and our value. 

But now, let your heart swell with the knowledge that God is pleased to use the weak to shame the strong. Consider the countless men and women of God and their small beginnings: Abraham and Sarah began by wandering to a destination unknown. Jochebed put Moses in a basket and lowered him into the Nile. Joseph was left for dead in an empty cistern. Hannah dedicated the infant Samuel to the Lord. David was first in a forgotten field, tending sheep. 

Consider Jesus. “When Mary birthed Jesus, ’twas in a cow’s stall.” The King of kings was born in backwater Bethlehem to unwed parents among the pungent smell of manure and straw. 

Take heart! The God of the Universe takes us in our weakness and insecurity and demonstrates His awe-inspiring power. Let us join the chorus with Bethlehem as she testifies to God’s glory. He uses the small and forgotten to bring forth the unsearchable and everlasting! 

O little town of Bethlehem, 
how still we see thee lie; 
above thy deep and dreamless sleep, 
the silent stars go by. 
Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting light;
the hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.

John Jacob Niles, I Wonder as I Wander, 1933. 

Phillips Brooks, O Little Town of Bethlehem, 1868.