But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days (Micah 5:2).

When the Old Testament prophet Micah foretold the birth of our Messiah in Bethlehem, he emphasized that this little town was nothing much — too little to even count among the people of Judah. But its name suggests a hidden significance. 

Did you know that in Hebrew the name “Bethlehem” means House of Bread?  How clever (and wise) of the Lord to have Jesus, our “Bread of Life,” come from the House of Bread.

Like bread, Jesus is basic nourishment for life. When the lives of his people were threatened in the wilderness, God provided bread from heaven – manna. When our world became a wilderness of sin, God promised and sent the Bread of Life – Jesus – to nourish and rescue us.

Jesus said, “I am the bread of life; he that comes to me shall never hunger.” That was not an afterthought. His birth in Bethlehem assures us that God’s intention was always to provide spiritual bread for the life and eternity of those who come to him. So, come!

Prayer:
Lord, thank you for providing my daily bread and for sending the Bread of Life to provide for my eternity. May the wisdom and heart you revealed when you birthed the Bread of Life in Bethlehem, nourish my faith to trust you and to come to you now for the eternal sustenance I need.