Monday, March 3, 2008

God is God in all our fears

Mt 2:19-23 - But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead.” And he rose and took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee. And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled: “He shall be called a Nazarene.”

This is an interesting account of Joseph fearing and God confirming that fear by appearing again in yet another dream and sending him somewhere else. And though this verse does not say necessarily, do not fear, it gives us confidence that in our fears, God can either confirm them or reject them. Obviously, Joseph has been communicated to very clearly over the past few months in regards to this baby Jesus. And so he has to feel that His life really isn’t his own and that their was a divine presence guiding his life for the purpose of the little baby. This is a great example of how we should view the hand of God in our lives. Though God may not speak as clearly as He does to Joseph, we should still have that same sense that God is very much in the middle of all our dealings.

Ps 25:12 - Who, then, is the man that fears the Lord? He will instruct him in the way chosen for him.

It was Joseph’s fear of God that enabled him to be instructed. When we don’t fear God, either our pride or our fear will control us. When we fear God and God only, we are able to be instructed. And like Joseph, our fears will be confirmed or rejected in light of our perspective of God in that moment. The more we fear God, the less we will fear life because we understand the power and sovereignty of God in any and every situation.