Quick Obedience

 

“So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.”
Luke 2:4 (NIV)

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Sunday night we began our second week of Advent celebration. Each night after dinner, we light two of our Advent wreath candles and have a brief scripture reading, a short Christmas devotional, quick prayer, and a LOT of singing. Music is James Bruce’s love language and he never wants that part of our family time to end. Overall we try to adhere to a former children pastor's admonition to stick to the Advent "B" plan. That is to say:

  • Be brief

  • Be biblical

  • Be beneficial

Most of our Scripture reading this week has focused on Luke 2 with a particular emphasis on Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem and the birth of Christ.

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For most of us, Mary and Baby Jesus are the main characters in the Christmas story. But Joseph plays a pivotal role, not just in the Nativity narrative, but also in Jesus’ life. God chose Joseph to be Jesus’ earthly father and gave him exact directions for Mary and Jesus’ care. Joseph received very specific God-given instructions from four angel dream visits:

  • “Don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife.” Matthew 1:20

  • “Get up and take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt.” Matthew 2:13

  • “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel.” Matthew 2:19

  • ‘Having been warned in a dream, he (Joseph) withdrew to the district of Galilee and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth.” Matthew 2:22-23 

Each time Joseph demonstrated quick and exact obedience to God's call for his life, protecting Jesus and his mother Mary.  If we were entrusting the world's Savior to someone's care on earth, which one of us would pick an unknown carpenter from the tiny town of Nazareth? But God knew His man. God entrusted both Mary and Himself to Joseph. And Joseph delivered each time.  

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What has God called you to do today? It may be something as simple as calling a friend, making cookies for someone else, gifting an Angel tree child, sending a card, or writing a check. God calls each of us in different ways to different tasks. But how quick and exact is our obedience? Wherever you are today, follow Joseph's example, do what God calls you to do, and do it quickly!

“Slow obedience is NO obedience.” (Zachary Hughes, 5th grader)
Amen and Amen,
Donna

 

 

 

christmasDonna EvansObedience, Advent