DOMINION MANDATE DAILY DEVOTIONAL

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2019

LESSONS FROM THE VERY FIRST CHRISTMAS (3)

BIBLE READING: MATTHEW 1:18-25

“But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭1:20‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Yesterday, we studied the Godliness of Joseph that made him want to protect Mary instead of hold her up to public shame, wanted to settle things quietly. Today, we shall take another look at Joseph. While Joseph was still contemplating on what to do after finding out that Mary was pregnant, an Angel showed up and gave him directions from God, about Mary, the baby and God’s plan and purpose for the the baby.

Later on, the same Angel shows up again and warns him to take the baby and flee to Egypt to save His life. “Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.” Matthew‬ ‭2:13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬. Joseph had to take his young family and flee to Egypt and after the death of Herod, Joseph got the divine direction to return to Israel.

All these were possible because Joseph had learned to hear and recognise when God was speaking to him and he had also developed a habit of obeying divine instructions when they came. If Joseph hadn’t learned to be sensitive and obedient, he might not have heard the angel telling him to marry Mary and Jesus would not have had his protection and guidance as He grew from childhood to adulthood. If he had not heard the Angel the second time and been obedient as well, then he would not have taken his young family and fled to Egypt to protect them from the wrath of Herod.

Most of the defeats we suffer as Christians come as a result of the fact that our spirits are so weak and deaf that when God speaks and gives instructions we do not hear Him. God speaks, but have you trained your spirit to hear and recognize His voice when He speaks to you?

On the other hand, there are times we hear God clearly but fail to walk in obedience and the devil takes advantage of our disobedience to make us walk in defeat instead of victory. If the devil ever defeats you in any area of your life, it is because you either haven’t heard what God says about that area of your life, or you have heard God but you have been disobedient.

Develop your spirit man, learn to hear what God is saying to you especially through the scriptures and then resolve to live an obedience based life. Your life will go from victory to victory.

PRAYER:
Lord I receive sensitivity to your leading. I pledge to seek your voice in the midst of the cacophony of voices speaking today and to promptly obey your instructions at any cost in Jesus' Name, amen.

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