Wednesday, March 20, 2013
By: Gwen Hitt
He WOKE UP.....
Matthew 1:24 "When Joseph WOKE UP, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife."
Have you ever experienced a time in your life when all was going well and life was good and THEN everything around you began to crumble?
For a moment, I want you to reflect on what Joseph went through when he discovered that Mary was pregnant. Just picture the look of awe on her face as she shared her UNBELIEVABLE story of the Immaculate Conception. Do you think that Joseph's world crashed around him as he listened in disbelief...confusion...doubt???
Today's scripture tells us that Joseph took Mary home to be his wife after he WOKE UP from a dream in which he received a visitation from an angel as recounted in Matthew 1:20 -- "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."
Consider the roller coaster of emotions that Joseph experienced from the point he discovered that Mary was pregnant to the moment he woke up from the dream. Momentarily, all of his future plans with his betrothed must have been shattered.
In all actuality, he could have turned Mary over to the authorities and had her stoned. BUT he did not.....Rather, he put his possible feelings of betrayal aside, AND he chose to protect her! Matthew 1:19 shares how he handled the situation: "Joseph, her fiancé, was a good man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly."
THEN God spoke to Joseph in a dream, and Joseph responded to His voice ......HE WOKE UP TO HIS PURPOSE......HE CHOSE to walk in faith no matter the consequences!
1 Chronicles 28:9 reveals why God selected Joseph to be the earthly father of Jesus ---- "For the Lord sees every heart and knows every plan and thought." God knew Joseph's heart. God knew that Joseph was a righteous man and WOULD fulfill the phenomenal plan of raising up our Savior.
My challenge to you today is to "wake up" to what God wants YOU to "raise up" in YOUR life. He also desires for you to respond to the situations in your life with the same faith, love and consideration that Joseph displayed.
Dear Lord, I thank You for providing such strong examples in Joseph and Mary of integrity and willingness to be used by You NO MATTER the cost. I ask that You build that type of obedience and trust in me.
I thank You Jesus for dying for me. I believe that You are Lord and that God raised You from the grave so that I can have eternal life. In the Name of Jesus I pray, Amen.
