What I learn in church today
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.
(Proverbs 3:5-6)
For with God nothing will be impossible.
(Luke 1:37)
(Proverbs 3:5-6)
For with God nothing will be impossible.
(Luke 1:37)
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Jesus' natural father, Joseph, was an example of a lifter.
What does that mean?
His story was not much expounded on by pastors in the church. We hear about Mary, about the angel Gabriel, and of course our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
But rarely do we hear sermons about Joseph.
Joseph was a brave man. He was also obedient and sensitive to the voice of God.
And Joseph must have love his wife, Mary, very much.
Imagine seeing Joseph, back in the days, when he was about to get married.
The preparation was under way. He was anxious about being a husband to Mary, and at the same time excited about the new life ahead of him.
Like everyone else, he must be busy running about chatting with neighbors and customers (as he was a carpenter), telling them about what his new house is going to be like.
He might also be showing off the new furniture he just made for his house. And who knows, he may be shopping for the best linen and cloth for his wife-to-be, and also bustling around finding gems that he could give to Mary.
Then one fine day, just before the wedding, he heard this from Mary.
Mary: Hey Joseph, now stay calm. You see, I may be pregnant. An angel appeared to me. And yeah, he told me I'm having a child, conceived of the Holy Spirit....
Joseph: ................
What would you have said, if you were Joseph?
Joseph: WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU HAVE A CHILD OF AN ANGEL? YOU THINK I'M AN IDIOT?
After you've spent so much time getting the house ready, preparing for the wedding day, you hear this news from your lovely wife-to-be....
Often, people get frustrated when things do not go according to plan.
And when that happens it's one thing to be frustrated with people around you, and blame the world for your agony.
And it's another to draw closer to God and continue to love the people around you.
My initial thought would be to do the first.
Joseph chose the second.
Instead of kicking up a big fuss and be angry with Mary, humiliating her in front of the public (which in those days mean that she was punishable by stoning to death for adultery), Joseph's action is that of love and forgiveness.
He decided to divorce Mary in private. And that means having the decision made in the courthouse in the privacy of the judge, and two witnesses.
The bible called Joseph a just man (Matthew 1:19).
(It's funny how the bible did not record what Joseph said at that point in time. We hear Mary speak to the angel, but not Joseph.)
Joseph is also sensitive and obedient to the Lord. He heeded the angel when he told Joseph to take Mary as wife, even though he has decided to divorce her. He also followed the commands to name his son Jesus, and later brought his family to Egypt and then back to Israel.
Naming his son Jesus.
Joseph could have named his son ANY names.
Joseph Jr.
John.
David.
But no. He named his son Jesus, as he obeyed the Lord.
Matthew 1:25 said Joseph called his son Jesus.
It wasn't Mary who insisted.
Joseph NAMED Him Jesus.
What is obedience anyway?
Is it an act of submission? Or a heeding of commands?
I learn something from the life of Joseph that obedience is being sensitive to God, hearing Him, and loving the people around me.
It's not all there is to obedience, but from Joseph, these are aspects of obedience that I must get hold of.
I used to be all angry and heated up when someone does something stupid, or makes me mad. And in my head I'll think of ways and means to plot a pay-back time.
Yes, I wanted to humiliate the person who did something nasty to me or others.
And what happened?
If I DID succeed to humiliate, I felt triumphant for a while and then what happened? I harbor those thoughts and kept on thinking of other ways and means in which I could have humiliated the person better. (Yes, I can be very evil.)
But if I DID NOT succeed, and time passed, I actually managed to let it go and hey! Life is back to normal and I did't feel too bad!
People of the world say time heals all wounds. But for us who belong to the house of the Lord have a better Healer and we all know His name.
He healed our wounds of humiliation too.
Joseph could be called someone who was forgiving, magnanimous, generous, kind, and all else. But above all, Joseph was a just man.
He heeded the voice of God.
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Thank you, Pastor Ron.
And happy grandparents' day!
Sane reflects @ this location permanently
4 reflects:
This is good, Sane. And I love the pic of the Healer. Jesus You're awesome.
Great sharing of what you learnt!
I am also as guilty as you... when someone does something wrong to me, I will feel very upset. Even though I may not do anything physically or say anything out loud, wild thoughts keep running through my head... and these thoughts include "I should have said blah blah blah..." and if the person retorts in a certain manner, I will then say "blah blah blah..."
Honestly I know I drive myself nuts, but we still keep doing it... and like what you said, sometimes if we just let go, over a period of time, it's all water under the bridge! Y make yourself so unhappy during that time?
Your entry is a godsend. I needed to break out of this cycle, right here, right now.
wow.. what a wonder msg. thanks for sharing sister ! :)
To think that this very article will minister to myself, and so soon even.
Lord, grant me the peace to forgive others and grace to overlook their wrongs.
Love.
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