Tag: Angel

Where do You Go for Guidance? Joseph looked to God!

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I love today’s scripture as it speaks to me of the guidance of God. Often we pray to God when in difficult circumstances, seeking His wisdom and direction. God tells us in James 1:5 “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” Well, Joseph found himself in a difficult position. He was betrothed to Mary which in their culture was more than an engagement as legal papers had been signed, and they were considered man and wife. Though they had not been together, as having relations during this waiting period was considered immoral. They could not sever this binding agreement except though divorce. Joseph was torn between causing shame for Mary by denouncing her or quietly divorcing her. Joseph needed guidance.

Luke 1:18-25 “ Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
    and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). 24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.

God intervened by providing an angelic dream to guide Joseph. He gave him many reasons to follow His leading: Mary’s son was conceived by the Holy Spirit – not by relations with a man, so she had not broken her vows, her son would be the one to save Israel from their sins- the long awaited Messiah, the babe would be God in the flesh come down to earth to bless and be with mankind, and his name would be Jesus-God with us. What a persuasive list presented by the angel! Joseph followed God’s guidance immediately and took Mary as his wife.

How have you known God as your guide? Being our guide, God lead us in the way we should go. His word teaches us how we are to live and think. He gives us the Holy Spirit to indwell us through our faith in Jesus which allows us to know His voice and follow Him. Jesus told us in John 10:4 “When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.” We can trust God’s guidance, for without His direction we will surely stumble and fall like people in the dark.

Some of the most beloved scriptures focus on God as our guide. Psalm 23:2-3 “He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.  He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” Psalm 25:5 “Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.” Psalm 32:8 “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;  I will counsel you with my eye upon you.” Psalm 119:105 “Your word is a lamp to my feet
    and a light to my path.” John 16:13 “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.” You can depend upon God’s guidance in all situations be they simple or complex like Joseph’s. God is good and will faithfully show us the way. We need to remember Isaiah 55:8-9 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” God is high and lifted up, holy and perfect. We can always trust in His guidance. His ways are truth for our lives. We may not fully understand God and His ways, but we can trust them to be sure and perfect.

Be bold this week and seek God’s guidance through prayer and in the Word. Then let your boldness show your trust as you walk with Him in faith!

Linda

Zechariah Learns a Lesson

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Today’s portion of scripture is taken from Luke 1:8-20. We see Zechariah in the temple doing his priestly duties and is interrupted by the angel Gabriel who has a message from God. God knew it was Zechariah’s time to serve and He wanted him for a specific mission.

“Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was” serving as priest before God, 9 he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside. 11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. 13 But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. 14 He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, 15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. 16 He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

18 Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.” 19 The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. 20 And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.”

The attribute I have chosen for this passage is Perfect. God is Perfect in all He does and says. In this story we see God’s perfect timing. He sent the angel Gabriel at the specific time in Israel’s history to bring good news of this son that Zechariah and Elizabeth would miraculously have, even though they were older, to be the forerunner of Jesus. Zechariah’s son would be filled with the Holy Spirit before his birth and live a righteous life leading many to repent and turn to God. Zechariah and Elizabeth were the perfect parents to train and teach their young son about God and His Word.

I am always amused when I read about Zechariah’s boldness in questioning the word of the heavenly being Gabriel. His unbelief moved him to ask, how can I know this to be true? It is not surprising that Gabriel was offended at Zechariah questioning his integrity and his message from God. The punishment was also perfect. It was severe but not harmful to Zechariah’s person but to his pride. It also allowed others to see that he had indeed had an encounter with a God. Gabriel made the punishment time limited so that he would again have the message confirmed when it came to pass and know the power of God. God is perfect in his ways and they are not our ways as we are reminded in Isaiah 55:8-9 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” God always has the perfect solution and His timing is flawless.

This coming John would be the forerunner, proclaiming the glory of God to come. Later when both men are grown, John has the privilege of baptizing Jesus and proclaiming Jesus’ purpose in the world. John 1:29 “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

I can rely upon God’s perfection in all His ways, plans and timing. I may not see or know the plan, but I can trust the planner. I don’t’ need to question the truthfulness of God’s Word as I know it is flawless and true in its perfection. Lean into God and trust His Word in a new way today.

Linda

Jesus Appeared….He Knows My Name

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One of the most touching post-resurrection appearances of Jesus was when He appeared to Mary Magdalene in the garden.  It is recounted in John 20:14-18.  Mary had been to the tomb and seen and heard the angels say that Jesus was not there. They had said He was risen.  However, she was so overcome with grief that it had yet to truly register with her brain.    They (the angels) said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” 14 Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus.  Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). 

This scene touches me as it only took Jesus saying her name for her to recognize Him.  In John 10:27 Jesus told the disciples that the ones who know Him will recognize His voice and follow Him  ” My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”   Mary knew immediately that it was her Lord saying her name.  She was instantly comforted and wanted to touch Him.  He cautioned her not to cling or hold onto him, but to go and tell the disciples that she had seen the Lord!  Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” 18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her.

Mary needed to have the Savior’s touch.  He touched her with His voice and He gave her the reassurance that all would be well.  Jesus confirmed He had indeed risen and that He was alive!  Jesus showed her that there is eternal Hope in Him!  She got all of those reassurances from Jesus just saying her name!

What do you need Jesus to say to you today?  Do you need Him to call you by name, give you a word of encouragement, a word of guidance, or simply a word of Hope?  He can say and do it all- if you just ask Him.   Seek Him today and He will be found!    

Linda 

Joseph- right line at the right time!

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Joseph, at last we get to his part of the story. His genealogy is presented by Matthew in Chapter 1. He was of the line of David, as was Mary. It was foretold that Jesus would come from the line of David although it was not known until his birth that it would be a miraculous birth. Matthew lists Joseph’s father as being a descendent in David’s line. Matthew 1:16-17 “and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus who is called the Messiah.17 Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Messiah.” It was important for Matthew begin with Jesus’ birth line as prophecy specifically said the Messiah would come from David’s line and be born in Bethlehem, David’s ancestral home. Both of these were true of Jesus “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.” Micha 5:2  With this beginning, Matthew establishes Jesus’ credibility through Joseph’s story recorded in Matthew 1:18-21. 

 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. 20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

What can we tell about Joseph from this story? He was a believing Jew who sought to please God by following the law. He was also a compassionate man as he did not want to expose Mary, the girl he loved, to public reticule. He was a thinker, slow to react and not prone to rash decisions. Isn’t that the kind of person you would like to know and be associated with? Joseph was steady and reliable, seeking to do what was kind and right.

What can we tell about God from Joseph’s story? The Lord knew he was not a rash, impulsive man and would deliberate about the consequences of his actions. He allowed him time to think and consider before revealing the true nature of Mary’s condition. God sent an angelic messenger in a dream to Joseph to impress upon his mind that which he should do. God cleared her name and character in Joseph’s mind. God gave him a godly reason and mission by being the future father of the Messiah. God did not tell him everything, m but enough to convince him that marrying Mary was the right thing to do. How like God to give motivation and assurance to activate Joseph’s faith and cause Joseph to trust in Him. 

God is always trustworthy and He keeps all His promises.

Linda

Mary, a Look at God’s Plan

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The angel’s visit to Mary reveals significant things about God’s plan to reconcile mankind to Himself. Let’s look at the passage in Luke 1:26-38 again.

26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, 27 to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. 28 Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!” 29 Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. 30 “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!” 34 Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.” 35 The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. 36 What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she has conceived a son and is now in her sixth month. 37 For the word of God will never fail.” 38 Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.

What do we learn of God’s plan? *God’s Son will be miraculously born of Mary a young unwed Jewish woman. *Jesus would be his name and he would be born to Jewish parents (Mary and Joseph) in the line of David. *Jesus is God’s son and will be given the throne of David, by God, to reign forever as his kingdom will never end. *The baby will be a holy child (sinless).

God shows his unique ability to cut into human history by bringing His Son into the world in a human way but also making him divine. Only God is holy so this child is His in nature- pure, undefiled by sin. But he is also human as he lived and died on earth. It is an incomprehensible plan by human standards but Sovereign God can and did accomplish it. I pray that the magnitude of God’s sacrifice at giving up His only son for this mission to reconcile you and me will seep into your heart and soul this season. God loved us so much that He sent Jesus. John 3:16 says it perfectly,  “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life” It is a plan filled with love, hope and giving. Say a prayer of thanksgiving for what God did in sending Jesus.

Linda

Mary, Looking to God

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We will leave Zachariah and Elizabeth for a bit and turn our attention to Mary. Mary was a young woman who was pledged to marry a Jewish man named Joseph. Like Zachariah, Mary was visited by an angel with a specific message for her. Here is the first part of her story, Luke 1:26-33.

26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

Mary was visited by the archangel named Gabriel, the same angel who had spoken to Zachariah. We are given times and places where this event occurred. In the sixth month refers to the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy. Jesus and John were to be close in age. The place Nazareth was located in the region of Galilee and where Mary and Joseph resided. Joseph, her betrothed, was in the line of David which was very important as Messiah was to come from the line of David. Actually both Mary and Joseph were descendants of David. After greeting Mary, the angel first addresses her fear and proclaims she is favored by God. What an amazing message the angel gives to this young unwed girl. She was to have a child, but she was not married and had not known any man. She was perplexed about this but asks her questions of the angel with showing doubt towards God. The encounter continues in Luke 1:34-38

34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” 35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. 36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Mary does not doubt God’s ability to perform this miracle within her and radiates confidence and hope in her response. She is humble and obedient towards God.

What do we learn about God in this encounter? God shows himself and his power through the angel Gabriel. He appeared to her personally and reassured her that all would be well with her. When given momentous tasks to perform, God attends to the details and gives us reassurances that it will succeed. Maybe it is a complement from a coworker, an unexpected gift or money to see the job done, support from a friend, prayers directed to uplift you by other believers, peace in your mind or heart or an encouraging passage from His Word to motivate you. God uses all those around us to do His bidding and support us. Here he used the miraculous and given the mission, it is an encounters that will last a lifetime. God know exactly what Mary needed to reassure her, and He knows what you need. We just have to be open to His encouragements and looking for them expectantly. God was a personal God to Mary and is personal to you and me. He cares about each of us. Peter writes in 1 Peter 5:7 that God encourages us to give Him our anxieties and worries because He cares about us. “Cast all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” Good words for Mary as she was told to trust God and good words for us today.

Linda

God of the Impossible, for Real!

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How do you react to startling news? Do you deny it is even possible? Do you accept it with grace and just absorb it quietly? Do you jump up and down shouting for joy? Each of us reacts to situations in our own way. Zachariah was no different. He had heard and seen the angel. He heard the angel tell him that he and Elizabeth would have a child in their old age and that their son would have a mission for God. But seeing and hearing didn’t register belief. Here is Zachariah’s response to the angel, Luke 1:18-25.

18 Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.” 19 The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. 20 And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.” 21 Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. 22 When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak.

Mary and Joseph had questions for the angels that appeared to them too but their questions did not present doubt in God’s ability to follow through. Zachariah could only think in human terms and knew he and Elizabeth were too old to have a child. He focused on the impossibility of the situation not on the power of God. If he had just thought for a moment before speaking, perhaps he would have remembered Abraham and Sarah who had a child in their extreme old age. Abraham was 100 and Sarah in her 90’s when they had Isaac. God is the god of the impossible and Zachariah forgot that in the moment. The angel rebuked him for his unbelief and said he would not be able to speak until John was born. I think that was probably a long 9 months for Zachariah as he waited expectantly to meet this child God was sending to them. As confirmation that something amazing had happened to Zachariah, the people noticed he was different in addition to not being able to speak. They saw by his demeanor was different and they concluded he had had a vision or an encounter with God. I’m sure Zachariah was able to tell them somehow of his angelic vision and the message he had received.

How big is your God? How capable is He? Do you rule out miracles or pray with faith for divine intervention? Consider the words of Isaiah 40:28-30

Do you not know?
    Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
    and his understanding no one can fathom.
29 He gives strength to the weary
    and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
    and young men stumble and fall;
31 but those who hope in the Lord
    will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
    they will run and not grow weary,
    they will walk and not be faint.

The God who caused Zachariah to not be able to speak, who created a new life in old bodies for both Zachariah and Elizabeth and Abraham and Sarah is the God who brought Jesus as a babe to bring us unto Himself. God is the god of the impossible. In Matthew 19:26 “Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Jesus was talking about being saved from sin. Only God could make that impossibility possible and He did it by sending Jesus.

Thank you Lord for this season filled with hope that reminds us that you are the God of impossible things.

Linda

WOW! Message from God to Zechariah

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The Levites took turns serving in the temple in Jerusalem. Here is what happened to Zechariah, John the Baptist’s father, when it was his turn to serve. Luke 1:8-17

8 Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, 9 he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside. 11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. 13 But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. 14 He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, 15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. 16 He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

Wow! The angel brought Zechariah heavenly news. Zechariah was afraid as often angelic messengers brought bad news and they were spiritual beings which would frighten anyone. Zechariah was told that he and his aged wife would have child. At their age, this would be a lot to take in and believe as they had tried for many years to have a child. Now at their age, it would be a miracle. This son was to be called John, he would be a joy and a delight- good news to any future parents. He would be filled with the Holy Spirit from birth. In Old Testament times, the Spirit of God came upon people for a certain period of time and then would leave. Since Pentecost, the Holy Spirit comes upon the believer and indwells them forever. So being told that John would have God’s Spirit from birth was an amazing fact. They were also given information about his future mission for the Lord. He would go out in God’s power and call people to repentance. John was to prepare the way for the long awaited Messiah.

I can’t even imagine getting this news. Zechariah was a devout Jew that loved and served God. The joy Zechariah experienced in knowing he would have a part in God’s plan through his son must have been both humbling and exhilarating. Today I focused on the message the angel brought to John as it speaks of God’s Omniscience and compassion for all mankind. God’s plan of redemption was made and carried out through Jesus because He loved us and desired that we be reconciled to Him. Our sin separates us from Him and there is nothing we can do to remedy this situation. Only God could reconnect us. He sent John to proclaim the coming of Messiah and the message that repentance was needed. They had strayed from God and John was to be the wakeup call to stir the Jewish conscience towards faith once more.

Let this Advent season be a wakeup call of your own to turn to Jesus. Seek Him with a repentant heart and let the words of Ezekiel 36:26 resonate in your heart and mind. “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” Ask God for that new heart, renewed faith and openness to do His will in your life. You will be renewed, rejuvenated and experience renovation in your life as never before.

Linda

Why would YOU travel to see the New Born King?

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In yesterday’s passage from Luke 2:8-13 we saw the bucolic scene with shepherds tending their flock by night. Their calm evening was interrupted by an angelic host of angels who arrived with news of the new born king, the Messiah. The angel announced this baby’s birth to the amazed shepherds. “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” After this startling announcement, the angelic host burst into praises to the glory of God and proclaimed what this newly arrived king would bring. He was to bring peace if His favor rests upon you. God’s favor is His grace which is undeserved, unearned and a gift from Him. To receive this promised grace, one just needs to believe in His Son, Jesus.

Luke 2:14-15 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
    and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

Obviously the shepherds’ interest was piqued and they wanted to go and see the baby for themselves. They believed that traversing to Bethlehem would bring them face to face with this marvelous child, their long awaited Messiah. So immediately after the angelic hosts departed they decided to go and see for themselves.

What about God piques your interest? Are you curious and seek to know Him more fully and understand His ways better? Are you just interested in answered prayers or daily comfort? Do you love fellowshipping with believers and want to serve Him with others? Are you looking for answers to the problems of life and relief from worry and pain? Are you looking for promises to claim in your life? There are so many aspects to faith and a daily walk with the Lord. All of the above may be of interest to you but I pray your major motivation towards God is LOVE. He loved you and me enough to send Jesus to die to restore our relationship with Him. He desires that we fellowship with Him for eternity. John 3:16 reveals God’s motivation towards us.“ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” He loved us while we were still sinners according to Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” What a gracious and loving God!

I pray that you can catch a glimpse of the love God has for you and me in the Christmas story. May it show you God’s love in a new way and motivate you to a renewed faith and commitment now and in the New Year.

Linda

Joseph, A Second Look

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Joseph’s encounter with the angel and his stunning message to Joseph is worth a second look. Matthew 1:20-25 is the rich account of how God told Joseph in a dream of His Son that was to be born to Mary, Joseph’s fiancé. Yesterday we looked at Joseph’s character that shone with faith and obedience to God and we looked at the attributes of God revealed to us in this heavenly meeting. Today I want to focus on this Son of God that was to be born of Mary.

20 As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet:

23 “Look! The virgin will conceive a child!
    She will give birth to a son,
and they will call him Immanuel,
    which means ‘God is with us.’”

24 When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife. 25 But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus.

Joseph was told by God in a dream that the child conceived within Mary was God’s Son by His Holy Spirit. He would be named Jesus, which means God with us. This Son was coming with a purpose which was to save all mankind from their sins. All men inherited their sinful nature from Adam and Eve when they sinned in the garden. God’s plan was one of restoration and redemption though the coming of His Son Jesus. This was a lot of information for Joseph to process. He was righteous, which meant he was knowledgeable about the scriptures and laws of Moses which he practiced faithfully. Joseph would have known the quote in verse 23 is from Isaiah 7:14. He would have known of God’s promised Messiah who was to save His people. Joseph must have been overwhelmed by the responsibility and privilege God was placing upon him to be the earthly father of His Son. He took all this in and stepped out in obedient faith to follow the command God gave him. He married Mary immediately and did not stop to count the cost. The cost as we will see was significant but the blessings and privileges of serving the Lord would have been immense.

What obstacles are you facing in your service to God? Are they ones you create in your mind, the what ifs? Are they circumstances that you feel are too big for God to overcome? If so, think about Joseph and all he had in front of him, and yet he trusted God and walked in obedience. Jesus is the key- He came to be with us ‘Immanuel’ and to save us from our sins. Take His hand and walk with Him. When things get hard He promises to never leave you nor forsake you, He’s got this!

Linda