DAILY DEVOTIONAL – October 9, 2020

“180”

Prayer:  Our God and Father, the birth, death and resurrection of Your Son our Lord Jesus has left no reason for us to question Your perfect love for us or the goodness of Your will and working in our life.  Forgive us for the times we doubt You and worry about tomorrow.  Grant us the strength of faith to joyfully and confidently follow You wherever You may lead.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Scripture: Matthew 2:13-15

¹³ Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” ¹⁴ And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt ¹⁵ and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.”

Devotional – “180”

All of us at some point have to deal with changes and challenges in life that turn us around 180 degrees and redirect where we thought life was heading, or where we planned for it to go.

This is what is happening to Joseph and Mary, again, in our text for today when Joseph receives a vision from God that instructs him to flee to Egypt because Herod intended to kill Jesus; perceiving this new born Messiah as a threat to his throne and power.  Keep in mind that Mary and Joseph have already had a rough go.  A 90-mile journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem by hoof and by foot while Mary was pregnant, finding no room in the inn and the having to deliver Jesus and find shelter in a rock cave and stable.  At this point in our text when the vision comes to Joseph, Jesus is about two years old.  Though Mary and Joseph no doubt finally found a suitable place to stay, I’m sure they were still exhausted as new parents and had no intentions of taking a 175-mile journey to Egypt.

Regardless of how tired they were or how difficult the journey ahead would prove to be, Mary and Joseph had learned to obey the Lord, trusting that He not only was the Father of their Son but that His direction was the best direction.  So, as the text says, they fled to Egypt.  They didn’t know how long they would be there or what they would find when they got there, all they knew was what the Lord said, “remain there until I tell you.”

During those times when it seems the trajectory of our life is being redirected and turned around 180 degrees, we should remember this story of Mary and Joseph fleeing to Egypt and remember that even in the midst of what seemed like chaos, God was still very much in control and working His loving will in their lives and protecting the life of His Son so that He would later give up His life on the cross to ensure the eternal life of Mary, Joseph and all who put their faith and trust in Christ.   When we feel as though we are wandering through the wilderness, when the Lord calls us away from what we know and are familiar with and into the unknown, or when it seems that we are surrounded by threats and oppression on all sides and forced to retreat, we can have every confidence that our Lord who Himself knows how to perfectly and faithfully follow God’s call, even to the point of death, will comfort and provide for us as we follow Him and allow Him to redirect our lives, cancel our plans, and work His love and salvation into our lives.

As Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”

The Lord’s love and will is always perfect and always for the best.  He is ever faithful to provide and lead us in the satisfaction of His Lordship.  Faith in Christ is never about knowing exactly what He wants us to do, for how long He wants us to do it or for what reasons.  Faith is always about trusting Him with the willingness to be redirected and follow Our Lord Jesus who is the Way, the Truth and the Life.

Thanks for spending time with me today in God’s Word.  Have a wonderful weekend, and remember, that God has forgiven yesterday, is with you today and has already taken care of tomorrow.  Amen.