"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.
Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,
Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
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 he called his name JESUS."
Matthew 1:20-25
This is some interesting background before Christ's birth, and it emphasizes I think the way we are more open to the spirit when we have questions, and we're thinking about how to solve problems. At those times, we're most open for any type of learning, because we have need of it, and it gives God a chance to get through so that we will listen. In this case, an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and taught him what he should do about his difficult situation, even though the solution wasn't the one that he had been leaning toward. Joseph listened, and obeyed, and it made a world of difference.
We too can get the answers to our questions and the resolutions to our problems, if we'll keep our minds open to the Lord's influence, and follow his promptings that lead us to the answer... even if it isn't the solution we were planning on. Today, let's be thankful that Joseph listened, and learn from him to listen as well, when we are faced with difficult choices and are trying to figure out what to do... let's turn to the Lord for our answers, and follow him wherever he leads.
No comments:
Post a Comment