Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Christ our King is coming

“Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”  (Matthew 1: 20 21)

Joseph had three good reasons to be worried.  First, was his deep disappointment that after what he considered a prayerful discernment his choice of Mary as a wife was a failure.  Second was his deep regret with Mary herself.  Mary was reputed as the holy, chaste and wise virgin of the town.  Now, she appeared to be like everyone else.  Finally, Joseph was saddened with the  failure of divine guidance.  Divine guidance is promised in the scriptures especially for those who walk in God's ways.

Amidst such forebodings, Joseph went to bed for another restless night.  But this night was different from other nights.  It was the night of the second Annunciation.  The angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph and revealed that Mary was with child by the power of the Holy Spirit.  And with this, the peace and faith of Joseph in God was fully restored.

It happens that in our own life, we might go through a period of severe test of faith like Joseph.  The test could be in the areas of family, finances, job, health, property and tools.  In such period, wouldn't it be wonderful to enjoy a visitation of an angel telling us that everything is alright and urging us to be patient for a little time because what is going on is a set up by God.  Alas, most of us would never enjoy any such visit by an angel.  This is because the message of God for us has been communicated in the scriptures.  Here are a few examples:

God is with us.  He is Emmanuel.(Matthew 1: 23)
"The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent."  (Exodus 14: 14)
"Endure your trials as 'discipline.'"  (Hebrews 12: 7)
"Be still, and know that I am God."  (Psalm 46: 10)
"Do not be afraid and do not dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God's."  (2 Chronicles 20: 15)
"Not by might, nor by power, but my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts."  (Zechariah 4: 6)

There are many such scriptures in the Bible which we can appropriate and apply to our situation.
"Through these, he has bestowed on us the precious and very great promises, so that through them you may come to share in the divine nature, after escaping from the corruption that is in the world because of evil desire."  (2 Peter 1: 4)

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