When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”
So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, 15 where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”
Matthew 2:13-15
I paid my parking ticket.
The Sunday after Christmas, my wife came home and found a bright green envelope on the window of my car. How nice, perhaps a neighbor dropped off a Christmas card? Maybe a friend dropped a nice note? A closer look revealed it was only an envelope, no card. “PARKING VIOLATION” printed in bold letters greeted me. There was an attached note, but the author wasn’t whom I expected. In fact, the author was an officer from the Eagle Police Department.
“Urgh! Really?” I thought! I was in church Sunday morning, the day after Christmas, and I come home to get a parking ticket on Sunday morning! I glanced at the officer’s name confident it would say E. Scrooge. It didn’t. I looked up and outside onto the street and saw the piles of snow blocking the side of the street. I realized the officer was only trying to help. The plows wanted to plow and they couldn’t because I was blocking their path. They wanted to help and I was just getting in the way. We are on a snowplow route and when it snows we are supposed to move our vehicles at night. I paid my $40 parking ticket.
So often we scoff at rules, even God’s rules for us. We think we know what is best, but scripture shows us time and time again the Creator knows what is best for His creatures. God knows what’s going on and how it will all pan out in the end. God gives us a gift, His law because he loves us and cares for us. He knows what is best, but that is not always evident right away. I am thankful God gives us laws to live by, it keeps our lives in the groove... “a groovy life” one of my professors used to say. Our Lord shows us how much he cares for us by giving us His laws to live by. He knows what’s best for us. Incredibly, our Lord Jesus gave his own life as the atoning sacrifice for our sins. He cleared the way for us to live in Christian freedom, knowing we should fear, love, and trust God above all things.
That is exactly what Joseph did, an angel of the Lord came to him in a dream and told him to take his young family to Egypt because Herod was trying to kill Jesus. Matthew tells us...
So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt (v.14)
No questions, just following orders from the Lord. Joseph just did what God told him to do because God had a plan. God cleared the way so Jesus would survive, so he could go to the cross for you and for me. No violation, no fine, Jesus paid it with his own blood. Jesus cleared the way.
I am thankful for the snowplows, the men and women who work day and night to clean our streets. I am also thankful for the officer that moved me out of the way so the professionals could clear the way down our little street. I have enjoyed a wonderfully clean road all week.
Join us Sunday as we continue to SEEK HIM and see how God orchestrates His plan of redemption no matter the circumstances.
I can’t wait!
