Joseph a Man of Commitment

December 18, 2023December 18, 2023 nofearlindaLeave a comment

Yesterday I looked into Joseph being the right man for God at the right time. His character was godly and he cared deeply for Mary and did not want to damage her reputation. God affirmed Mary in his eyes as He revealed to him the child was to be of God and that they together had a mission to perform for Him. Today’s passage looks at the vision God gave Joseph and the reassurances he needed to step out in faith and trust in God alone. Matthew 1:20-25

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. ²¹She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” ²²All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ²³“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). ²⁴When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. ²⁵But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

Joseph was considering what to do about their situation and God’s timing was perfect when He appeared to him in a dream. He assured him it was right to go ahead and take Mary as his wife. He assured him that the child was of God and they would call him Jesus. The baby was the fulfillment of scripture concerning the virgin birth from Isaiah 7:14, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” Joseph, being a godly Jew, would have been familiar with this prophesy concerning the coming Messiah. God also gave him a significant reasons to move forward, as this coming child would be God coming down to them. He would be dwelling with them physically and He would save them from their sins. Joseph was convinced and trusted God to work out all the details. He got up and did what the angel said and too Mary as his wife. Out of respect for God and the baby Mary was carrying, he waited to make Mary fully his wife until she had delivered Jesus.

God had His hand upon Joseph in a mighty way. He assured him, guided his thoughts, affirmed the truth of the situation but left the commitment to Joseph. God wants us to desire to serve Him with our whole heart, mind, will and devotion. Joseph stepped up and followed through for God. How about you? Do you lack commitment and resolve in godly matters? Ask God for reassurance and to speak to your thoughts and affirm what you are to do. Then stepping out will be easier than you think.

Linda

Jesus Said her Name, He can say yours too!

April 29, 2022April 29, 2022 nofearlindaLeave a comment

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. She was at the tomb, had seen the angels and heard them say that Jesus was not there but risen. However, she was so overcome with grief 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.” ¹⁴Having 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.” ¹⁶Jesus 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 touch 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.’” ¹⁸Mary 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, was the Messiah 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

Today the garden tomb is a very peaceful spot in Jerusalem.

Thankfulness Day 13: Hope in a nutshell of verses

November 13, 2020 nofearlindaLeave a comment

Today’s focus for thankfulness comes from Psalm 46:1-3. In my book, Promises for Dynamic Living, I used these verses on the printed bookmark that accompanied the book. These verses never cease to bring thankfulness, awe and extreme encouragement to my soul.

“God is our refuge and strength,
    an ever-present help in trouble.
²Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
    and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
³though its waters roar and foam
    and the mountains quake with their surging.”

Why am I always encouraged? Because, God is my refuge and strength. God is with me 24/7, ever-present. God is greater than any circumstance I will ever face, even if it looks like everything is falling apart. Knowing that God has my back allows me to move forward in life without fear. Trusting in God eliminates the threat of fear and fills me with hope, reassurance and peace.

Why am I in awe? Because, who am I that God would love, protect and care for me in all circumstances? Knowing I am loved and cared for by my heavenly Father brings joy to my soul.

Why am I thankful? Because, I have God as my protector and nothing can befall me that will leave me alone and forgotten by God. He is always with me and has this world in His control.

These verses are true cause for encouragement, awe, and thanksgiving. May they lead you towards greater thankfulness for the power and might of our loving God.

Linda

Thank goodness! Plans and Timing=we see Perfect God!

December 14, 2019December 14, 2019 nofearlindaLeave a comment

Since Joseph is such a major character in the story of the birth of Jesus, I wanted to spend another day pondering the scripture in Matthew 1:18-25, , today I used the New Living Translation.

This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly.

²⁰As 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. ²¹And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

²²All 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.’”

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

Looking again at our scripture, I was struck by Joseph’s compassion and consideration of Mary. He knew that divorcing her was what was expected of him, but he wanted to do it quietly so as not to cause Mary further embarrassment. He also thought about what to do and did not jump into action. God knew Joseph was struggling with his decision, so an angel appeared to him in a dream giving him direction on how to move forward. The principle here is that God knows the society in which we live and realizes we need His encouragement and reassurance to do His will when in opposition to worldly standards. Joseph’s encouragement came in an angel dream but we have the Bible today which we can reference, search and rely upon as well as the indwelling Holy Spirit of God for direction and guidance. Joseph did not have either of these so God took care of his needs in a different way which gave him exactly what he needed.

How do we see God in this appearance? We see God’s omniscient knowledge of all that was happening, His realization of Joseph’s fear and need for encouragement and reassurance, God’s plan and forethought to bring Messiah into the world at exactly this time in history. God is perfect. Everything in this event is perfect. What God says, does and plans is without fault. Because God is unchanging and faithful, the measure of what perfection is begins with God. What God wills is good and perfect. His ways are flawless and righteous. All scripture is included in God’s perfection. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 ” All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, ¹⁷so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

As you consider God’s perfection, think about His creation, His plans for our redemption, and the plans He has for your life. All good things reflect His perfection. Remember the promise of Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”