Monday, December 9, 2013

December 10, 2013

"When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife." Matthew 1:24

As you celebrate all the blessings of Christmas this season, add this to your list. Christmas happened because of the obedience of a teen-aged boy!

Your salvation and my salvation rested on the choices of a Hebrew teenager.

The phrase obedient teen almost sounds like an oxymoron. And usually it is! But not in this case!

Of the numerous amazing things that happened to make this impossible event possible, this certainly should be listed among them - an immediately and absolutely obedient teen!

In this post and the next few to follow, I want to look at several lessons about obedience to be learned from the life of young Joseph.

I see an important lesson in this verse. Obedience requires surrendering your will to God.

Joseph wanted to make Mary his wife! He was two-thirds of the way there! The arrangement had been made and they were betrothed, and they were counting down the days until the wedding.

What couple doesn't want a fancy wedding? Family is there and friends are there and she is looking good and he is looking good and memories are waiting to be made!

But all those plans and potential memories all went out the window with one angelic visit. Speaking through the angel in a dream, God made His will known to Joseph and Joseph had a decision to make!

Obedience always comes down to a choice, doesn't it? Will I choose God's clearly revealed will or will I choose what I desire? It doesn't get any more basic than that!

It sounds easy, doesn't it? But you know it isn't and I know it isn't easy and it wasn't easy for Joseph, either.

But this terrific teen trusted God's purpose more that his purpose and desired God's plan more than his own!

His obedience helped change the world!

In the same way, your obedience to His will can change your world! So could your disobedience.

You may just be one obedience away from the next great thing God has for you!