Come Home for Christmas
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
My Prayer Today
Heavenly Father, sometimes Your will sends us far from home. I pray that I will always be open to Your will in my life, even when it calls me to live out of my comfort zone, and to travel to distant places—whether they are literal distant places, or just situations that are different than those I am used to experiencing. I pray again today that I will hear Your voice, and that I will obey it when I do. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit that I may live faithfully in Your name. This I ask in the name of Jesus. Amen.
God’s Word Today
Matthew 1:20-25
20As he considered this, he fell asleep, and an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to go ahead with your marriage to Mary. For the child within her has been conceived by the Holy Spirit. 21And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22All of this happened to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet:
23 “Look! The virgin will conceive a child!
She will give birth to a son,
and he will be called Immanuel
(meaning, God is with us).”
24When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord commanded. He brought Mary home to be his wife, 25but she remained a virgin until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus.
Matthew 2:13-15; 19-23
13After the wise men were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up and flee to Egypt with the child and his mother,” the angel said. “Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to try to kill the child.” 14That night Joseph left for Egypt with the child and Mary, his mother, 15and they stayed there until Herod’s death. This fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: “I called my Son out of Egypt.
19When Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and told him, 20“Get up and take the child and his mother back to the land of Israel, because those who were trying to kill the child are dead.” 21So Joseph returned immediately to Israel with Jesus and his mother. 22But when he learned that the new ruler was Herod’s son Archelaus, he was afraid. Then, in another dream, he was warned to go to Galilee. 23So they went and lived in a town called Nazareth. This fulfilled what was spoken by the prophets concerning the Messiah: “He will be called a Nazarene.”
Reflecting on God’s Word
How do you think you would respond if you had a dream in which an angel told you to move you and your family to a distant land? Why?
A Deeper Exploration of God’s Word
What was God’s command to Joseph in today’s Scripture? How did this differ from His first dream? How was it similar?
How long did it take Joseph to respond to the dream? What does this tell us about our obedience to God?
Understanding God’s Purpose for Us
What does Matthew 2:13-15 tell us about God’s purpose for our lives?
Applying God’s Word to Our Purpose
Joseph received a second dream from God directing him to travel with Mary and Jesus to Egypt. Joseph’s quick obedience to the message saved Jesus’ life. (See Matthew 2:16-18) Think about specific commands that you know God is giving you in your life right now. They could be Scriptures that are guiding you, or specific instructions you have received in prayer, or through other means. Take some time right now to pray and reflect on the steps you must take to be obedient.
Thoughts—“The Flight To Egypt…”
Joseph had a second dream. He didn’t know it at the moment, but the dream was a message that meant life or death for Jesus. Herod was furious that the wise men did not return to tell him where they had found Jesus, so he sent his soldiers out to kill all of the male children in the region of Bethlehem who were under two years of age. Jesus would certainly have been among them, had it not been for Joseph’s dream. Joseph obediently packed Mary and Jesus and the few belongings they had and headed for Egypt. The couple had already left their hometown of Nazareth to go to Bethlehem because of the Roman census. Now, instead of returning home, they would be living in a foreign land. Think of the implications of this for Jesus. The Son of God came to the world to become one of us so He could die in our place on the cross of Calvary. In that way He could redeem us. Now, he would live his first few years as a refugee. Imagine that: Jesus, born to an unwed mother; then living as a refugee. He certainly could identify with any of our circumstances after starting out life like that! As we go about this day after Christmas, may we remember that our Savior can identify with any trials we may be facing, and that His salvation is available to overcome every obstacle. Praise the Lord!