Not So Familiar Christmas Scripture: Micah 5:2

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from old, from everlasting. Micah 5:2

When the Magi arrived in Jerusalem seeking the newborn King of the Jews, the Jewish scholars knew just where to send them -- to Bethlehem, a hamlet five miles away. The rabbis were acquainted with the prediction made 700 years before by the prophet Micah, that the Messiah would come from "Bethlehem," the "House of Bread." The added title "Ephrathah" meant "Fruitful" and distinguished this Bethlehem from other towns by the same name. In penning his prophecy, Micah seemed amazed that such a powerful Person would come from such a small place.

God delights in using small things. Jean Grou, the French writer, wrote, "Little things come daily, hourly, without our reach, and they are not less calculated to set forward our growth in holiness than are the greater occasions which occur but rarely. Moreover, fidelity in trifles, and an earnest seeking to please God in little matters, is a test of real devotion. Let your aim be to please our dear Lord perfectly in little things."

If you feel small, take heart. Little is much when God is in it.