“But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, ‘Rise, take the Child and His mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the Child’s life are dead.’ And he rose and took the Child and His mother and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee.”
((Matthew 2:19-22))
It fascinates me to see the way that God guides Joseph as he brings Jesus and Mary home from Egypt. God sends Joseph dreams, but God also relies on Joseph’s common sense to protect Jesus from danger. Both are good, but God’s wisdom is greater. Common sense can only take you so far!
When we trust in Jesus to rescue us from the power of sin and death, we are trusting God’s heavenly wisdom—because the cross doesn’t make sense in human terms. What power to save can there be in a dying man? Or in a newborn baby, lying in a manger?
But when we look with the help of the Holy Spirit, we see that Jesus truly is “Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” Through His death and resurrection He has made us God’s own children. “For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men” (1 Corinthians 1:24-25 ESV). Let’s trust in Him.
We Pray: Lord Holy Spirit, lead me when I don’t know what to do. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
* When you have to make a decision, how do you seek God’s will?
* What makes Christianity look silly to non-believers?
* Why do you trust in Jesus anyway?
Advent Devotions were written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Originally published in The Lutheran Hour on January 5, 2024
Used by permission from International Lutheran Laymen’s League, all rights