“But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream…”
It was a conversation unlike any conversation in the history of the world.
Mary had to tell Joseph that she was pregnant. And not just pregnant, mind you. ‘Pregnant with the Son of God,’ pregnant.
The Bible doesn’t tell us the specifics. All we know is that the conversation takes place somewhere between Matthew 1:18-19. So, we’re left to speculate how the dialogue might’ve played out.
Maybe Joseph lost his temper, exploding in anger as he listened to Mary’s story. Perhaps tears streamed down her face as she begged Joseph to believe her. Whatever the case, we can only imagine the hurt, disbelief, frustration, and betrayal Joseph experienced as he absorbed the magnitude of Mary’s words.
While we don’t know the details of the conversation, we do know the result: Joseph “had in mind to divorce her {Mary} quietly” (Matthew 1:19).
Considering the circumstances, divorce was more than fair, gracious, even.
Who can blame him?
However…
A few nights later, an angel came to Joseph in a dream and told him to follow through on his commitment to marry Mary (Matthew 1:20).
And in an extraordinary, humble act of obedience, Joseph listened (Matthew 1:24).
Allowing the Lord to redirect his steps, Joseph did a complete 180, an about-face. Instead of divorcing Mary, he determined to marry her.
Joseph’s willingness to listen and obey the voice of God, especially after he’d already made up his mind, indicates what a righteous man he really was (Matthew 1:19).
As someone has wisely observed, “Divine guidance comes to a prepared heart.”
And there is no doubt that Joseph’s heart was prepared to receive God’s guidance at all times.
For instance, about a year or two later, Joseph was once again willing to adjust his plans when an angel appeared in a dream and told him to “escape to Egypt” (Matthew 2:13).
Without hesitation…in the middle of the night…Joseph packed up his young family and moved to a foreign land (Matthew 2:14), saving Jesus from the murderous jealousy of King Herod (Matthew 2:13).
Oh, how catastrophic it would’ve been if he had ignored God’s instructions!
Joseph’s obedience reminds me of the Lord’s words in Psalm 32:8,9:
“I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding, but must be controlled by the bit and bridle.”
Honestly, sometimes, I behave like a stubborn mule, refusing to follow God’s voice. Instead of staying sensitive to the Spirit’s leading, like Joseph, I persist in what I think is best, unwilling to be redirected by the Lord.
Can you relate to my mule-like tendencies?
This Christmas, I pray that the Lord does a mighty work in my heart and yours. May we stay flexible, moldable, and ready to adjust our plans at a moment’s notice to follow the Lord Jesus.
And like Joseph, we will always find His plans are better than ours.
Written by Jonathan Munson, Executive Director
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