In Matt 1:20-23 Joseph had just found out that Mary was pregnant. I’m sure he was flooded with anger, disappointment and fear. The Bible tells us that instead of putting Mary on display, openly shaming her, he tried to figure out a way to quietly escape from the situation.
Fear, confusion and pain can cause us to do things that may seem right at the moment, but are actually miles away from what the Lord is asking us to do.How could it be wrong to cover Mary’s “problem”? Wasn’t Joseph being gracious by not openly disgracing her? Yes. He was being gracious but in trying to fix the problem he was leaning to his own understanding instead of God’s wisdom.
God had a different plan and it involved Joseph staying involved, not running. God spoke to Joseph in a dream and gave him instructions that changed his life completely. Was it easy for Joseph? Probably not but in following God’s plan, Joseph became a part of something much bigger than himself. In listening to the Lords instructions instead of running away, Joseph became a part of a miracle.
Is there an area in your life that you want to run from? How about something you just want to cover up and forget? It may seem easier to run or cover up, but why not stop and listen to the Lord first. When we give the Lord a chance to speak into our lives, we find that his wisdom, although not always easy, allows us to see Him work in miraculous ways.
I encourage you today. Don’t be quick to run or hide when a problem or situation arises that you don’t know how to handle. Allow the Lord to speak to you. Look for His plan. His ways are higher than our ways. The reward of following him always far exceeds anything we could have imagined.
Need to pray? Father, you know what I am facing today. I feel like running and hiding. Although my emotions are strong, I choose not to be moved by how I feel. I ask for your wisdom. I am looking to you for your plan concerning this situation. I trust your ways and lean not to my own understanding. Thank you for directing my path! Thank you for loving me! In Jesus name, Amen.