Matthew 1:18-25

Matthew 1:18-25

Characters brought into the story:

Mary
mother of Jesus Christ
Betrothed to Joseph
She became pregnant with a child of the Holy Spirit
A virgin
Was taken by Joseph to be his wife
Was not with Joseph until after she gave birth
She gave birth to her firstborn son

Joseph
Betrothed to Mary
Joseph was a righteous man
Did not want to make a public example of Mary
Was thinking about putting her away quietly
Saw an angel of The Lord in a dream
Was called "Joseph song of David"
Was told not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife
Was told to name Him Jesus
Obeyed the angel of The Lord
Took Mary as his wife
Did not know her until after she gave birth
Named the baby Jesus

Jesus Christ
Conceived of by the Holy Spirit in Mary's body
Give his name by the angel of The Lord
Will save his people from their sons
He shall be called Immanuel: God with us

Angel of The Lord

Appears to Joseph in his dream
Instructs Joseph on how to handle the situation


I love how Joseph and Mary are submitted to God. Joseph doesn't act out of quick response. He is thinking to himself how to handle the situation and God appears to him and tells him what to do. He doesn't question it or analyze it, he wakes up and obeys and does what God tells him to do.

Application

I tend to be the type of person that once a decision is made I will step back and analyze and re analyze it, making sure is it really what God wants us to do? Did I really hear Him right? Like a wrestling through my thoughts to make sure that it is right before God.

What I need to make sure, is that once I know God has spoken to us on whatever it might be, that I don't need to keep analyzing it over and over. It's time to rest in it and trust God's direction and stop fretting.

God is showing me this in our school decisions. I am grieving through the losses that are at Cor Deo. The friends, the way that God takes center stage in everything at the school, a principal whose heart is to teach the kids Bible classes. Teachers that are personal and take the time to talk and care about me and my children. We are on our last month there. Saturday we went to an event at our kids new school next year and I came home in years broken up over those losses, and struggling with some things that I observed. Nick said we need to go back and pray about it again, seeking God to confirm our decision. God told me to follow Nick's leading, and God told Nick don't change the plans.

So even if its hard, or if the feelings don't all line up right now, we don't base out decisions on feelings of the moment, but I have to stand in what He has shown us to do.

Praying for the desire to do that in all the areas of my life.