Matthew 1:1-25
Saturday, 25 December 2021
“Then Joseph …did as the angel of the Lord commanded.” -Matthew 1:24
Doing what the LORD commands us is not always easy. But we see through God’s Word and in the lives of many, the impact it has brought on the world we live in. Joseph and Mary did! It led to major changes/adjustments in their lives, but their obedience was instrumental in the world receiving its Saviour! They put their life on the edge when they heeded this call, yet were willing to be a part of the grand plan of God- it was not about them but about Him.
In a way, Joseph and Mary were instrumental in introducing the Saviour to the world. Today, we too who carry the life of Christ are compelled to introduce Him to many who are yet to know Him. What did Mary and Joseph do when God called them to be a part of His eternal design? What is surrendered life all about?
It’s about being a vessel God can use (V. 18)
The Bible says about God: “He is the potter we are the clay.” (Isaiah 64:8) The potter has the freedom and right to make the lump of clay in his hands into whatever shape he desires. The only requirement from the clay is to be pliable and soft- that’s what God does to a life surrendered to Him. He uses this life to mold and shape it, to fit into His eternal plan. But just as the clay would have to go into a kiln to become that beautiful vessel, a surrendered life would have to go through the fire sometimes just as Mary had to. Remember that one decision to obey God’s call resulted in you and I meeting our Savior. Today God is still looking for such vessels to carry Him to a broken and dying world. It could be to your family, neighbor, friend or to a nation or tribe across the seas. But the question is, are you willing to be the vessel He can mold to fit His plan?
It’s about dying to our plans for God’s plan to be fulfilled:
Joseph may have had a lot of dreams of how his married life ought to be just as any young man of today. But what he heard from Mary simply did not fit into his plan. But the Bible calls him a just man, a man who would not want to hurt another. So we read how Joseph thought he could nullify his betrothal quietly without arousing any suspicion on Mary, willing to take the blame for breaking off a covenant. But when God explained His GREATER plans to him, Joseph could have walked away from it- rather he chose to be an instrument God could use to redeem the world. The call to follow Christ is costly- only a few take the step to this call. It means our dreams and desires need to take second-place to God’s! As Paul writes in Phil 3:8 (NLT) “Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For this sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all garbage, so that I could gain Christ.”
The first Christmas was all about obedience and sacrifice. This Christmas, let’s just pause and reflect Who or What we are celebrating. Many out there do not know the reason for this season. So the question posed to us is the one God asked Isaiah: “Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?” (Isaiah 6:8)
Are you willing to surrender your life for a greater cause?
Quote for the day: “Sometimes you have to let go of the life you pictured, in order to have the life that God has planned.” ~John Hagee
Listen: ‘It’s about the cross’