Do you know your place in history?

Jesus came at the right time.

Arabic

Only God knows exactly when Jesus was born. But the gospels are very accurate about where he fitted in history.

Matthew 1:1-17 says: ‘There were 14 generations from Abraham to David, 14 from David to the exile to Babylon, and 14 from the exile to the Messiah.’

So, Jesus wasn’t born on some random date. God aligned his birth with historical events, with the appearance of the Star of Bethlehem, and with the birth of John the Baptist. He also tied it in with many centuries-old prophecies.

And he pre-planned his mission, too. Jesus came as the Messiah, which means deliverer.

These facts reassure us that God is in complete charge of our lives, too.

He chose the date of your birth and allocated you a mission before you were born, the same as he did with Jesus.

Ephesians 2:10 says: ‘We are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

And Jeremiah 1:5 confirms: "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you; before you were born, I set you apart.’

You are not here by accident. Even if your parents didn’t plan you or want you, you’re here because God sent you for a purpose. You were born for ‘such a time as this.’

Cleland Thom helps to lead Freedom Church, a praying community in the UK.