CHRISTMAS: God's Rescue Plan Realisedনমুনা
Being a Christian does not mean we are spared the anguish and frustrations of life. Problems can appear so big that we sometimes feel unable to do anything. We can act like rabbits trapped by headlights––and feel unable to move.
Joseph may have felt this. The woman he was to marry had apparently had sex with another man.
Joseph, although deeply hurt, tries to do the honourable thing and divorce her quietly. It needed to be done quietly because if it became known publicly that Mary had committed adultery, she could be stoned to death.
And so Joseph was faced with what was probably the biggest disappointment of his life. As he grieved, he had no idea that all of heaven was holding its breath, waiting with eager anticipation for the greatest event in history to unfold––the coming of God to earth. What looked like a tragedy from an earthly perspective was actually God’s glorious initiative.
Therefore: involve God in your grief… and watch what God does.
Prayer
Dear Father,
Your purposes will ultimately prevail. You have promised to wipe away every tear from our eyes. I therefore place my life, and my grief, in your hands.
Scripture
About this Plan
The false gods invented by humankind to give definition to a god they knew must exist, were, unsurprisingly, very much like humankind. They had to be cajoled and bribed by acts of devotion to take notice of us. But the one true God has taken the initiative and seeks us out––to rescue us back to himself. And that is the Christmas story.
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