Advent - God Knows What He's AboutSample

Joseph, an Angel, and a Dream. . . Again!  

Do you know anyone who enjoys change? Virtually every stressful event in life involves drastic change: death of a loved one, divorce, loss of employment, personal injury or illness. Even marriage and retirement are considered highly stressful events. Change is hard for us. The unknown is scary. Those of us working in academia are probably the most resistant to change. We like the familiarity of rituals, traditions, and predictable schedules. We like to feel in control.

I marvel at Joseph’s faithfulness when God called him to change his plans. Can you imagine the gossip and ridicule he must have endured – marrying a pregnant girl in that day and age? Can you imagine uprooting your family on a moment’s notice because of a dream – not knowing where you will sleep or how you will feed your family? Then I consider Jesus’s faithfulness. He could have walked away from the cross at any time. Yet He endured the most excruciating death imaginable because He trusted God so completely.

How often have you felt God nudging you to change something in your life? Virtually every person in the Bible was reluctant when God called them to do something. Why are we so afraid to trust God? How many times have we behaved like defiant children when we had to deal with change? 

Had Joseph not acted on his faith, the Son of God might have been killed. Joseph trusted God without any proof that his dream would come true. God always proves His faithfulness and goodness. Jesus is living proof! Emmanuel literally means that God is with us! God is ALWAYS with us! That, dear friends, will never change! 

Dr. Michelle Roueché
Director of Choral Studies, University of Mary Hardin-Baylor