Consider This—God is in the Details

Matthew 1:18-21
This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

An important decision requires consideration.

I had dreamed about retiring and pursuing writing for years. When the time neared for me to take the retirement years seriously, Tim and I contemplated what that would look like. We took into account my health, benefits my job offered, the practicality of me no longer working outside our home, and of course our income. We prayed about the decision for me to retire early and thought about what that would mean for our family. I'm thankful God saw fit for us to move forward with our plans and provide Tim with work and me with writing opportunities.

Joseph was a man who considered the needs of his wife-to-be, Mary. When he learned she was pregnant, he didn't jump to conclusions. He could have broken the engagement in haste, instead he contemplated his options. He prayed and pondered about what was best for Mary and for him. Before he made his final decision, God sent an angel to assure him. You see, God chose Mary to give birth to Jesus, and He also chose Joseph to be Jesus' father on earth. God knew Joseph's heart. He found Joseph to be a man of faith who considered what was best for the people he loved. God knew Joseph would do the same for Jesus.

God is in the details of my life, and He knows my heart. He hears me, sees me, and understands me. He has given me the beautiful gift of prayer to guide me as I reflect on decisions and life's choices.

Joseph trusted God with the decisions he made. God trusted Joseph with His Son.

Trust God and give Jesus your heart this Christmas.

Scribbled on my Heart

Proverbs 3:3-6

Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart.
Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

The word tablet has a very different meaning today.

It's interesting how, through the years, the definition of words has changed. When I was a child, I rested on a blanket in the yard and watched the clouds float past. Now I save my stories, devotions, and book reviews to an invisible cloud I can access from my computer or phone. In college I listened to my professor drone on and on, now a drone flies in the sky (with those clouds I mentioned earlier) and snaps photos. The birds in my trees tweet in the morning, so do my friends on Twitter. The tablet I mentioned is an electronic device I use to connect with social media. Wow!

In the Old Testament, people often wrote the words from scripture on a small scroll, tucked it into a tiny box, and tied the box to their heads, arms, or necks. That way, they could remember God's intervention at the time of Exodus, and his promises to them.

I scribbled Proverbs 3:5-6 on the tablet of my heart years ago. Trust in the Lord. In this world with its sorrow, blessings, sadness, and joys, what else could I do? For the one thing that never changes are the promises and love of God. He calls me to trust him no matter the circumstances. He asks me to seek him, whether through scripture, prayer, or the new Bible app my daughter showed me.

I may still watch the clouds and listen to the bird's tweet. But I can also use the new tools God gives me to seek him and glorify him.

What have you written on your heart?  

Trust

Some weeks are harder than others. This is one of them.

A dear friend passed from this earth and entered the gates of heaven.

My heart breaks for his wife, one of my best friends, 

even as I rejoice in his eternal peace.

When life hurts and things don't make sense, there's only one thing I can do.

Trust in the Lord and his plan for us. 

 

Instead of Fear

Instead of fear, trust. Instead of fear, sing. 

Instead of fear, believe in the good. 

Instead of fear, embrace the power of God's Spirit.

For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid,
but gives us power, love and self-discipline.
~2 Timothy 1:7