Devotion # 6 - God's Protection and Guidance - Matthew 2:19-23

Devotion # 6
God's Protection and Guidance

 Matthew 2:19-23

"Now when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child’s life are dead.” Then he arose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned by God in a dream, he turned aside into the region of Galilee. And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, “He shall be called a Nazarene."

 God speaks to us in various ways and at various times about various things. One of the many ways God chooses to communicate his plans or will to some of us, is through dreams. We need to be sensitive to the voice of the Lord, no matter the mode of communication He chooses to use. But we need to also be wise and discerning, and not attribute every dream as an instruction or guidance from the Lord. Interpreting every dream as a message from the Lord can be misleading and leave us confused.

In Joseph's case, it was the 3rd time that God was speaking to him in a dream - this time, instructing him to return to Israel. When Joseph heard that Herod's son, Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father, he was afraid to go to Judea, though this was where he belonged. While it might be easy for us to point a finger at Joseph and question his trust in, and obedience to God, we need to stop and ask ourselves how many times we've found ourselves doing just that - knowing what God expects of us, but then taking a look at the possible negative consequences of our obedience and choosing otherwise. But God, being the considerate, understanding God He is, undersood Joseph's fear of entering Judea and sent him to Nazareth in Galilee instead. 

 Ponder the following questions:
  1. What are the various ways the Lord has spoken to you lately?
  2. Do you find it easy to hear the Lord speak to you?
  3. Do you find it hard to obey the Lord's leading or does obedience come naturally to you?
  4. What are you seeking God's guidance about at present? Are you attentive to His voice leading you?
Take time to write down or share with someone what you learnt from this short study and then go implement what you learnt.

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Michael Collins

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