The Well
The Well |
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Connecting Hope to the Hurting | |
Monday
December 29, 2008
After the wise men were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a
dream. "Get up and flee to Egypt with the child and his mother," the angel said.
"Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to try to kill
the child."
That night Joseph left for Egypt with the child and Mary, his
mother, and they stayed there until Herod's death. This fulfilled what the Lord
had spoken through the prophet: "I called my Son out of Egypt."
Herod was
furious when he learned that the wise men had outwitted him. He sent soldiers to
kill all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under,
because the wise men had told him the star first appeared to them about two
years earlier.
Matthew 2:13-16
Joseph was indeed a wise man. Angels spoke to him in his dreams and he followed their advice. That is pretty wise in my wisdom book.
God has spoken to man in dreams for centuries and He will continue to do so. However, only wise men and women heed the message. Based on the world's view of stability and wisdom, Joseph would have appeared to be somewhat "flighty" or "unstable." He didn't let that stop him from obeying God.
Herod, on the other hand, showed just the opposite. He wanted to do things "his way." He acted on fear rather than faith and killed anything that stood in his way of being top dawg! Yes, I spelled it right. He wasn't top dog at all, he was exactly that – top dawg.
If Herod had been a wise man, he would have happily abdicated his throne and allowed God to move him. Instead, he stuck to what he thought was the best way to handle things and many people were grieved. That happens when we make the choice to do it our way. Not only do we grieve God; we grieve other people as well.
God has a plan. His plan will come into effect in whatever way He knows it will best work. If that means we must move – we better move. If it means we must stay – we better stay. In either case, we must not base our decisions on what other people may or may not think. We need to concern ourselves only with what will please our Father.
People today would advise Joseph that if he continued moving his family around his children would grow up to be emotionally unstable. He would be advised to stay where he was and raise his children in a safe environment, establish himself as a stable businessman, and get involved in the local tabernacle. Makes sense, but it isn't always God's way of handling things.
Scriptures remind us quite often that we are to obey God – not man. When will we get it?
Father, I thank You so much for the depth of Your Word and for the way You reveal it to us at just the right time. Lord, You and You alone know each circumstance of the people who are reading this today. I pray You will speak to their heart and give them a word in due season regarding their circumstances. If You are calling any of us to move anywhere, whether that is church home or our family home, give us the wisdom to obey.
