2 minute read.
Daily Reading: Genesis 3:1-4:26 ESV, Matthew 2:13-3:6 ESV, Psalm 2:1-12 ESV, Proverbs 1:7-9 ESV
Daily Verse: “Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” (Matthew 2:13 ESV)
PHAINO (5316): Greek root word. “It signifies, in the active voice, “to shine”; in the passive, “to be brought forth into light, to become evident, to appear.” Visibly (Mt. 1:20) or in a dream (Mt. 2:13)[i]
God’s angels direct.
Googling “angel appearances” in the Bible brings a range of answers. Typically, the heavenly bodies come during people’s most significant times of need. For Joseph, his angel encounters happened in dreams. The latest sighting warning Joseph of trouble to come. Wasting no time, the family headed to Egypt, avoiding certain death.
One can only imagine how difficult sleep was for Joseph. I have no idea the pressures a new father feels, much less when God’s given him the task of raising His Son. Joseph knew the responsibility assigned to him. Talk about pressure in parenting; since Jesus was without sin, Joseph didn’t have to worry about disciplining Him. But he did have to raise Jesus.
Trust, not Control.
After reading my book, “Three Word Prayers for Everyday Living,” [ii] my friend developed a mantra. “Trust, not Control” became her battle cry against worry. Ever since she shared her story with me, I’ve adopted the prayer as well. When worry begins to rear its ugly head, I use “Trust, not Control” to remind myself, God’s got this.
Whatever pressures you’re feeling today, remember, God has a plan. Only at the appointed time will God make your path clear to you. Joseph’s angel appeared the night before they needed to leave to escape persecution. Whether God uses an angel or not to give you directions, I don’t know. But I do know you can trust His guiding light to lead you where He wants you to go at the perfect time.
[i] Strong, J., & Strong, J. (2010). The New Strong’s expanded exhaustive concordance of the Bible. (p. 261) Thomas Nelson
[ii] https://www.amazon.com/Three-Word-Prayers-Everyday-Living/dp/B09KF44SQY
