All the neighbours were filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things. 66 Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, “What then is this child going to be?” For the Lord’s hand was with him.

Re-reading the Christmas story in Luke’s gospel this year, I have been struck by the thought that these monumental, historic events took place in remote, out-of-the way places. This realisation is not new to me, but it has spoken to me in a fresh way, now that Jilly and I live in ”hill country”. We are located in a tiny village, close to a thousand feet above sea level, in a secluded and lesser known Yorkshire Dale called ‘Coverdale’.

In the 1950’s Dr Martyn Lloyd Jones preached a series of sermons on the subject of ‘Revival.’ A number of years ago I read them in print form, and I seem to recall him saying that the next revival is likely to break out in some obscure place no-one has ever heard of.

I often think about this. I have spent much of my life and ministry in fairly remote places that are unknown to many people. But God is everywhere. He is in the remote and hidden places too. Earlier this year, we attended a service in nearby Melmerby Methodist chapel, just a mile or so up the road from our home. It can probably comfortably seat around 50-60 people at the most. But the presence of God is palpably there. The lay-preacher who led the service said to me afterwards, ‘Coverdale has a rich spiritual heritage.’ We understand that, in the past, God has met with many people in this Dale, and raised up a significant number of preachers. Our prayer is, ‘Do it again Lord!’

There are many parts of the world where Christians may feel somewhat ‘out of the way.’ There are no palaces or centres of government for miles. But let us take heart that God has a habit of doing mighty works in such places.

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
    though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me
    one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,
    from ancient times.” (Micah 5:2).