David

Luke 2:4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.

Caesar Augustus did his task - out of vanity or a desire to control or just simple curiosity, he ordered the census. The un-named angel did his job - he convinced Joseph to remain committed to Mary. The outcome of all of this is that Joseph puts Mary on a donkey and trudges from Nazareth to Bethlehem.

Ever wonder why God did it that way? We're not sure exactly where the roads ran, but the distance was likely close to 100 miles. With a pregnant woman, it probably took a week or so. A week on a donkey, within days of delivering? That must have been really hard for Mary, and it can't have been easy for Joseph either. Surely there was a manger and some shepherds in Nazareth, and as far as the magi had to come, another 100 miles wouldn't have been that big a deal. Why did God plan it this way?

I don't know. Maybe it was to spare Nazareth from Herod for some reason. Maybe it was God's graciousness to one particular shepherd or innkeeper whose life was changed. We know it was to fulfill prophecy, but God could have prophesied anything. 

It just reminds me that, although God doesn't make our lives harder for no reason at all, He won't hesitate to make us do something hard. If a tough assignment serves Him best, or serves someone else who needs it, or helps us grow, then that's what we'll get. 

Following Jesus will be rewarding, and we'll be blessed and will prosper as God defines the term, but we should never expect it to be easy.