"But while he thought on these things, behold the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call His name JESUS: for He shall save His people from their sins."
Joy! Joy! Joy! Shout! Sing! Give praise to God for this day is the day of salvation! Now is the time to give your heart and life to the living God. We do not need to wait another moment to call upon the name of the Lord. Jesus Christ comes immediately to a repentant heart with His shining light of love and mercy. What is the cost?—to send His Son for the salvation of the world.
In our Scripture reading today, we find Joseph, the betrothed of Mary, in the middle of a crisis. Here is a young couple about to be married, planning their life together, the location and the building of their home, his career path, when children would fit into the budget, and BOOM!—dreams, desires blown right out of the water! Joseph's Mary is found with child of the Holy Ghost. Now, Joseph was a just man, but he had his own idea of how to "handle" this particular situation. He would not make a public example of her, but would put her away privately. As Joseph thought about these things, the Lord came and appeared to him in a dream. Praise God! The Lord comes and shares His Truth, His Love, with us when we come to a place of humility and surrender. Joseph gave up his own dream—what he thought was best for his life—and God Almighty met him in this costly place of surrender.
Talk about a salvation story!—"Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him and took unto him his wife, and knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn Son: and called His name JESUS." (vss. 24,25) Joseph came to God's senses! He left his own thinking, his own dreams and desires behind, and turned his heart toward the living Lord. Psalm 37:4 tells us, "Delight thyself also in the Lord: and He shall give you the desires of thine heart." JESUS! ONLY JESUS! ALL OF JESUS! This is the life of progression—humility leading to heart surrender; heart surrender leading to obedience; obedience leading to joy!
The question for today—Are you in the middle of a crisis? Is there a particular situation you are trying to handle your way? If so, there is GOOD NEWS! Come and kneel before the Lord, and give to Him all that you have and all that you are, and then, with open hands and heart, receive from him His gift of peace, grace, love, and joy. Life everlasting! Be raised from sleep today and give God the glory! "I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation." (Psalm 118:21) My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen!
~ Judy Hollobaugh
