Read the Bible
Today's Devotion
From Dr. David Jeremiah
O Little Town
December 8, 2025
Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).
Genesis 35:19
Recommended Reading:
Isaiah 61:1-3Because the Lord has anointed MeTo preach good tidings to the poor;He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,To proclaim liberty to the captives,And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord,And the day of vengeance of our God;To comfort all who mourn,3 To console those who mourn in Zion,To give them beauty for ashes,The oil of joy for mourning,The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;That they may be called trees of righteousness,The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”
Isaiah 61:1-3
The first biblical mention of Bethlehem is a sorrowful one. Genesis 35 says that Rachel died near there. Rachel was beloved by her husband, Jacob, and he was anguished when she perished during a difficult childbirth. With her final breath, she named her child Ben-Oni, which means “Son of My Sorrow.” But Jacob changed his name to Benjamin, which means “Son of My Right Hand.” Jacob set a monument over her grave, and pious Jews visit the site to this day.
Today we find delight in visualizing our Lord’s birth town. We build models of it on the stages of churches and in public parks. It’s become an evocative scene for the world’s greatest painters, and we love to sing about the “little town of Bethlehem” where “in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting light.”
It’s the Lord Jesus who eases our sorrows and lifts our spirits. His birth became the means by which He entered the human family to “preach good tidings to the poor” and “to heal the brokenhearted” (Isaiah 61:1). Do you have a zone of sorrow in your life? Ask the Lord Jesus Christ to give you comfort, understanding, healing, and happiness today.
O come to us, abide with us, our Lord, Emmanuel!
Phillips Brooks
