Advent - God Knows What He's AboutSample

Joseph is Warned in a Dream  

When was the last time you had a dream that woke you up in the middle of the night? For myself, it has been a long time since I have had one but when I did I would often think as I was laying there, “I probably should not have eaten that pizza last night before I went to bed”, and then take some antacids and then fall back asleep. I am glad that our character, Joseph, in our passage today did not have the same thought when he was awaken from his sleep. What we find instead in his response is an amazing display of obedience to a warning from God who he had already learned to trust. 

In our reading today we find that Joseph had just become the earthly father of Jesus. Earlier that evening he and his wife Mary had guests, the shepherds and the wise men who came to see, acknowledge and worship their new born King who was the long expected Messiah. A very full day and evening meant a well-deserved good night sleep. So it is interesting that when the angel of the Lord appeared to him later that night and told him to “Get up, and take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt”, the scripture said he immediately “got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt.” And stayed until God told him to move again. Joseph did not delay or linger in his obedience. And because he didn't, his action of obedience saved the baby Jesus whose life was threatened. His immediate obedience is strong evidence that Joseph had learned to trust God long before that night. 

The question then is not does God still speak to us through dreams or even if it was the pizza you ate but rather when He does speak to us how are we going to respond?  It is important that we do not delay or linger in the place where we have been, but, like Joseph, continue to follow God’s leading in our spiritual journey to stay put or keep moving when He says move. May our obedience always be immediate.

Rebeka Retta
Residence Director, University of Mary Hardin-Baylor