a Steadfast Heart
Establish Your Word to Your servants, so that You are feared.
Psalm 119:38
The people in the Matthew account of the birth of Christ were followers of the Lord and from their stories they showed a deep desire to seek the Lord’s will for answers to what they were going through. They prayed for guidance, talked to other believers, meditated on God’s Word and considered what the angels told them. They also showed faith by acting on what they were told.
Joseph was patient. He had a solution in mind but sought God’s wisdom. The angel told him what he should do and though it wasn’t a popular decision, he obeyed. Mary and Joseph both regarded the news of the birth of Jesus as truth and responded with yielded hearts to the words of the Lord by the angel. An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream telling him to take Jesus and Mary to Egypt for safety when King Herod sought to kill him. Joseph had another dream that Herod was dead and for them to return to Israel. When he got there he was afraid because Archelus reigned. God warned him in a dream to go to Nazareth in Galilee instead. An angel appeared to a virgin betrothed to Joseph. They had a conversation. He told her what would happen and she asked how a he told her. He also told her about her cousin Elizabeth. Mary said I am a servant of the Lord. May it be unto me according to Your Word. The Holy Spirit was upon Simeon to whom He revealed that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. He was led by the Spirit to the temple and met Mary and Joseph there and held the baby. He prayed, my eyes have seen your salvation which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the gentiles and the glory of your people Israel.
Sometimes I think we want a big revelation or clear sign of God’s will for a certain thing when all we have to do is show up each day to read His Word and talk to Him. Once we build a relationship we will have answers – He will open our eyes as we read the Word, and He will stir our hearts with correct desires to move in a certain direction. These desires will be tempered and aligned with His rather than our own because of time spent with Him. When we are content, we are at PEACE and can rest where we are and able to see life in His perspective.
