Because the Christmas account is one that is so familiar to us, without realizing it, we tend to gloss over words because they seem to roll off our tongue. What would happen if paused for a moment to reflect on those well- worn and somewhat overlooked words and phrases?
Because the Christmas account is one that is so familiar to us, without realizing it, we tend to gloss over words because they seem to roll off our tongue. What would happen if paused for a moment to reflect on those well- worn and somewhat overlooked words and phrases?
…had in mind…
“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.” Matthew 1:19
Problems are a fact of life. They are woven into the very fabric of our earthly existence. When a problem arises we tend to immediately go into problem-solving mode. This habitual response can cause us great anxiety as the process often shuts out the Lord to lead and guide us to a God-honoring solution. Why is fixing things our knee-jerk reaction, especially since our capacity to right the wrongs around us is often beyond our control.
Joseph had a big problem; a pregnant fiancée in which he was not the father. So his knee-jerk reaction was to plan, decided, resolve to “right” this “wrong” and get his life back on a manageable track.
Sometimes life sends us a “monkey wrench” to our well-though-out plan. We get weighed down with responsibilities that are not our own. We need to listen to what our God has in mind rather than trying to fix everything that comes to our attention. God will show us what is truly important and do it in His time.
Thank God for his wisdom and the obedience of Joseph for he listened to God’s voice and walked through this “challenge” to become a pivotal part of the Christmas story.
Prayer:
Lord, guide me to make Your mindset my first reaction in the face of the problems and challenges of life. Amen.
