But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village among all the people of Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel, whose origins are in the distant past, will come from you on my behalf.

Micah 5:2 NLT

The people of Israel undoubtedly grew weary as they waited for their Savior, promised by God through prophets for many years. The prophecy in Micah 5:2 reveals the place from which “a ruler of Israel” will come to them, but of course the prophecy does not give further details about the timing of this occurrence. Were they confused or skeptical about another significant ruler after King David coming from a small village like Bethlehem? I can imagine that they were. For many years, they anticipated the coming of their Savior with little idea of how it would happen. Even after Christ was born, the people continued waiting as He grew up and grew into the leader promised by God.

Even today, our human nature dictates that we also grow weary as we are waiting. Whether we are waiting on an answer to prayer, a response or action from God, or waiting in a long line at a coffee shop we tend to get impatient. In our modern society we expect things to happen instantly. It is hard to wrap our minds around the idea that God’s plan often unfolds on a timeline much different than the one we might expect. It is uncomfortable to give up our desire for control and wait on God’s response and His timing. Our weary hearts can break as we seek answers for things we don’t understand.

This Christmas season, I pray that we might find again that thrill of hope mentioned in “O Holy Night.” Let us seek ways to rejoice during Advent and always, finding joy despite our weariness as we wait and watch for God to move in our lives and in the world around us.