It’s Not an Oversight—it’s Ordained

Luke 2:7, NASB

And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

We don’t know for certain if this birthplace of Jesus was a wooden stable or the mouth of a cave, but what we do know is that it was probably dirty, full of animals, and less comfortable than a room in the inn would have been. The birthplace of the Son of God, at first glance, appears to be an oversight.

But it most definitely was not. 

The manger was not an oversight, it was ordained. God knew what Mary and Joseph did not—that He would be sending shepherds their way to become the first worshippers of this infant Messiah. And the manger was the perfect place. It was not only accessible, it was also familiar—and relatable—to the shepherds.

So Mary and Joseph’s circumstances in that moment weren’t only about them, they were also about others whom they knew nothing about. 

In the same way, the circumstances of our lives aren’t only about us, they are also about others whom we know nothing about.

When we encounter circumstances that result in uncomfortability, or even pain, we often feel like it’s an oversight of God—that He’s somehow missed a detail or forgotten about us. But that’s never the case. 

There’s no such thing as an oversight by God. 

So, precious child of God, I pray you find comfort in this truth today—the uncomfortable or painful thing you’re walking through is not an oversight. It is a divinely ordained vessel for the accessibility and relatability of others whom God will draw to your story. And, it might even be the very place within which you’re giving birth to the hope of your next season.