At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. … All returned to their own towns to register for this census. (Luke 2:1, 3 NLT)
Can you believe it's almost Christmas? Praise God for the gift of his Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ, who was born as a baby in Bethlehem!
As we read about the birth of Christ, can you see how God used circumstances to guide his Holy plan and how he uses circumstances to speak to us even now? 
Jesus was born in Bethlehem because God decreed it so. His birth in Bethlehem was foretold by the ancient prophets. But what would compel Joseph and Mary to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem, especially late in a pregnancy?
How would they – just as human as you and I, and still looking through the glass darkly – know they were to go to Bethlehem for Jesus to be born?
In Luke 2, we see God used a bureaucratic announcement made by a secular authority to guide Joseph and Mary. Augustus said the population should be counted, and that meant everyone was required to return to the “ancestral home.” Joseph was a descendant of King David, so he headed toward David’s ancient home – Bethlehem. (Luke 2:4-5) 
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