Humility and Obedience

Why did God choose Mary and Joseph to be the parents of Jesus?

It's a question that we may not think about often, but the answer to it shows us how we should live in our Christian walk. 

When we look at the Gospel of Matthew we see how Joseph responds when he told about Jesus. 

He is engaged to Mary, but then he finds out she is pregnant. He knows he is not the father, so the natural assumption is that she cheated on him and the child is the child of another man. He decides that he will put her away quietly. But, then in a dream he is told the truth about Jesus. He is Gods child.  And he is to take Mary as his wife.  His response? Matthew 1:24 tells us that as soon as he was told to take Mary as his wife, he was obedient. Immediately! No record of questioning or hesitation. He does what God has told him to do.  

Luke tells us how Mary responds when she she is told she will be the mother of Christ. 

Luke 1:38

" And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her."

Her response is important, because Mary knows that Joseph may dismiss her (that was his initial intent), and what would everyone think? She is pregnant, but not married yet! The neighbors would surely talk and her reputation would be ruined! But Mary is a slave to the Lord. The word servant in Luke 1:38 literally means she is a slave without rights to God. So whatever God wants of her, or tells her to do, she will do. 

And her response is one of words followed by action. She is Gods slave and she will do what He tells her to do.  

Both Joseph's and Mary's response is one of humility and obedience. They are willing to do whatever God asks of them regardless of the consequences.

Maybe this is why God chose them to be the parents of Christ. They were slaves to Him. Obedient despite the challenges. Willing to say: Your will! Not mine! 

What about you and me? 

Are we willing to do whatever Christ asks us to do? Despite what people might think? Despite what might happen to our reputation? Our career? Our finances? Our relationships? 

If we are a slave of Christ, our response should always be: May it be to me as you say.  As you desire! Your will, not mine. 

When we have that attitude, God WILL use us! Be ready! 

Thankful for the Small Things

When I think of giving thanks, I find myself thankful for small things such as seeing the colors of the sky or grass, getting a cup of coffee in the morning, the porches on our house, the rain, hearing music, or other small things. I felt kinda silly being thankful for these ordinary, little things, until.....

I see what my grandmother is going through. She is 96 years old and although she has her mind, she has lost nearly all capacity to see and hear. She has macular degeneration, which has slowly robbed her of her sight. When I walk into her room, she cannot tell it is me. She can't see pictures of our vacation, see how beautiful our kids are, or see what she is eating. 

She is also losing her hearing. It is getting harder to have a conversation with her on the phone or in person. She constantly has to have things repeated to her in a loud voice so she can understand.  

She is slowly sinking into a prison that is making life much less enjoyable. 

I realize now what a blessing it is to be able to see and hear the small and ordinary things around me. 

I also recently ran into an old friend of mine that has had surgery and radiation for oral cancer.  He can no longer speak or swallow. He told me that he was very discouraged. The reason: he had not been able to eat in over a year! Imagine! He had not been able to taste a steak, or hamburger,or anything in over a year. Tasting great food is pleasure! But he had not been able to taste anything for such a long time! 

He also can not talk so any communication had to be by hand! Very difficult and challenging! 

What he wouldn't give to talk and swallow again! 

When I see these challenges my grandmother and this friend are going through I realize that being thankful for small things like seeing beautiful things around me and tasting or eating delicious food is not so silly after all! 

There are many blessings we experience in life and we need to give a HUGE Thank you to God for ALL our blessings! 

Eternity

This morning in church the pastor who was bring the sermon talked about the importance of making sure we knew Christ. He gave the example of a young man he knew in high school. On a Friday, he and this friend say "Goodbye" to one another, ending with the promise: "See you on Monday." When he got to school on Monday, he learned that his friend had been tragically killed in a car accident that weekend. Death came suddenly and without warning to his friend.
Yesterday, I visited my Grandparents graves in Lampasas, Texas. I always go there around the anniversary of their deaths and birthdays. They were very special people to me and I miss them dearly. As I wander through the cemetery, I see many grave markers of people who had lived in that area. Many have lived very long, and hopefully happy and productive lives. Many lived into their 70s, 80s, 90s and some even  reached the century mark. But there are many who never reached their teens or 20s. Their lives were cut short by illness, car accidents, or some other cause of death. One young lady was taken tragically by a train accident at the age of 15. One died of leukemia at the age of 10.
The point is that none of us know when we will pass from this world into eternity. We assume we will live a long life, but the truth is that God may allow us to meet him face to face at any time.
The question is: are we ready to meet Him face to face? Have we prepared to slip into eternity?

While death is certain, where we spend eternity is up to us. We have a choice in the matter!

Jesus said in perhaps the most famous verse in the world; For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16 NASB.
One of the most important words in this verse is believe. What does is mean to believe in Him?
I think William Barclay explains this best.
To believe means at least 3 things.
1. We believe that Jesus is who He said He was. The Son of God. Not just a good man; not just a great teacher; not just a miracle worker; but that He is the Son of God! I remember a pastor telling me when I was young that Jesus was either the Son of God or He was a very deluded man. As I study the Bible more and more I realize the pastor was correct! Jesus made some incredible claims and He was either entirely off His rocker or He truly was the Son of God. To believe in Him means that we believe He was the Son of God as He said.

2. We believe that what Jesus said about God is true. If Jesus was the Son of God then He would know about God more than any human would! Therefore, when He tells us about God and His love for us, we can trust Him. He knows because He knew God on an intimate basis and could show and tell us what God is like. Jesus said in John 14:9: "He who has seen Me has seen the Father..."

3.  But we must put action to our beliefs. To believe means that we obey what Christ tells us to do. James tells us: "you believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. "James  2:19. Even the demons know about God. They "believe" in Him but they are not obedient to what He tells us to do. Our actions must follow our beliefs. To belive is not just an intellectual acknowledgement, but is played out in our everyday lives in which we choose to be obedient to His commands. When He tells us to love our enemies, we must do so. When He tells us to live by faith, we strive to follow Him, not by sight , but by faith. When He tells us to live a life of sacrifice for Him and for others, we do our best to place Him and others before ourselves. Yes, we will fail miserably at times, but that is what His grace is for. 

So, do you believe? Are you ready for eternity? It can come at any time! If you are not ready, then I want to encourage you to ask Christ to come into your heart. Choose to believe in Him, and then follow Him with your heart and your life. Then, you will ready for eternity! 

Seeking God first

My sister in law is in the hospital as I write this. She has diverticulitis and is receiving antibiotics. As we were talking, we got to talking about work. We both work for the same healthcare system. We were talking about how tight things are in the healthcare industry with the new laws; etc. Money is tight all around. There are many changes and it's been tough. 

As we were talking I got a little anxious about my job. What if I lost it? How could we cope financially? Could I find another job as a Physical Therapist? Thoughts filled with worry clouded my mind as we conversed. 

After we finished talking I turned to Twitter to look over the news feed. One of tweets was Matthew 6:33. What a blessing! Jesus promised in this verse that if we seek Gods kingdom, then He will supply ALL of our needs! No need to worry! If I keep my job He will supply! If I lose my job, He will supply! God is in control! 

So what does it mean to seek Gods kingdom? Gods kingdom is a place where Gods will is perfectly done in all things. Therefore to seek Gods kingdom is to seek His will for our life and then follow that will. We seek and we obey! But the verb seek is one of continuous action. It's not a one time thing. In other words we should daily seek Gods will for our life. Each day we should ask God to direct and guide us. As we seek, and humbly submit to His will, He promises He will supply ALL our needs!

So if you are worrying, turn daily to God and submit to His will and know that He will provide all your needs!

God has a plan for your troubles

We are still studying the life of Joseph in our worship services at church. We will be looking at Genesis chapter 45 this coming Sunday. I looked ahead and continue to be amazed at Gods working in Joseph's life. And God wants to do an amazing work in our life as well. 

There are several lessons here in chapter 45 but the lesson that catches my eye quickly is how God had a plan for the trials and difficulties that we go through. 

Remember, it was Joseph's brothers who were jealous of him and wanted to kill him. However, through Gods providence his life is spared and he is sold into slavery in Egypt. Through God ordained events Joseph rises to second in command in Egypt and through his leadership Egypt and others survive a severe famine. But notice.  Joseph recognizes it is God who orchestrated all of this. 

In verse 5 he reveals himself to his brothers and tells them not to be upset that they sold him into slavery for God sent me before you to preserve life. Joseph realizes God had a plan through the trial. He was using a trial to bring about His perfect plan. In verses 7-8 he again gives credit to God for sending him to Egypt. Not the brothers. What they meant for evil, God used for good. 

We need that perspective when we go through trials. The Bible tells us in Romans 8:28 that God can bring good out of anything. Not everything that happens in our life is good. Terrible things happen. But God is still in control. And because he loves us he will bring good out of it. 

God uses trials for our good and for the good of others. 

You may be going through a trial right now. Things may look very bleak. You may not see how any good can come out of the circumstances you are facing. As you go through these times remember Joseph. Look at the trials that he went through and then remember how God used those trials. So much good came out of those trials. God was still in control and his plan and purpose for those trials could not be defeated. It's the same way with your trials. God loves you and his purpose for your life will not be defeated if you continue to follow his plan. So in those dark days study his promises and claim them. Let his love wash over you and trust him. He loves you! And he is still in control!  

Gods in charge

We have been studying the life of Joseph in our church. As we go through Genesis there is one thing that stands out in my mind.  God was in complete control of Joseph's life. And ours as well!

In Genesis 37 Joseph has made his brothers mad enough to want to kill him. They had a plan to do away with him, but God used one of his brothers to intervene and convince his other brothers to throw him in a well. Reuben then was going to rescue Joseph later. God used Reuben to intervene and spare Joseph's life. Of course they later sell him to some Ishmaelites who then take him to Egypt. There he becomes the personal servant of the head of the "Secret Service". He was very respected and became head of the house of his master. Unfortunately he is falsely accused of rape and is thrown in prison. But God is still in charge! He could of have been executed. But God doesn't allow this to happen. One of his fellow prisoners is released. Joseph asks his fellow prisoner to remember him and try and get him out. But he is forgotten and continues to remain in prison. God is still in control. At the proper time he is remembered when Pharaoh has a dream that no one can interpret. Joseph interprets the dream and is raised to second in command in Egypt. Through his leadership, Egypt and Joseph's family is saved during an extreme drought. 

As I read this I am amazed at how God works in his life. How God is in control. Joseph could have lost his life several times. God intervened every time. Joseph languished in prison for some time. He may have felt abandoned by God but God was still with him every step of the way. And when the right time came God allowed him to be released. 

This has significant implications for our own lives. I try to control my destiny in many ways. I try to be as safe as possible with the goal of living a long life. But the truth is God is in control of our lives. He knew beforehand when we would be born and he knows when we will pass in to eternity. (Psalms 139:16)

There is comfort in that! Our lives on this earth will only end when God allows it. No one and nothing can take our life before God is ready to receive us into his prescence! We should rest in this and live life fearlessly as we trust God and his control of our lives.

But there are many languishing in some type of prison just as Joseph was. Not a prison with iron bars but other prisons. I know of people in financial prisons. They are not sure of where their next paycheck is coming from. Bills are coming and money is not in the bank to cover those bills. Some are in the prison of loneliness. Some are single and trying to wait patiently for the right person to come along. Others have lost their lifelong spouse through divorce or death. The kids may not be around and their nights are sleepless and the days long. 

There are lots of prisons and for many of us the wait to be delivered seems long, just as Joseph's wait was. As we go through these times it is helpful to look at Joseph's life and know that God is still in control and that deliverance will come. In his timing. Not ours. And his timing is always best. So as we wait, trust him. Lean on him. Read the scriptures. Pray and pray often. Fellowship with believers that can walk with you through those times. We are to bear one another's burdens. And support one another as we go through those prisons. 

So rest in Gods love and trust him. He will deliver you from whatever prison you may be in.