Don’t hesitate
Then he arose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel. Matthew 2:21
The last verses of Matthew chapter 2 happened after the wise men left and Mary and Joseph fled to Egypt. The crazed Herod had all the baby boys killed because the wise men did not report back to him who the Christ child was. Mary and Joseph did not know this was going to happen, but because they were warned to leave, they departed immediately. Of course, God was protecting His Son in the earth, but why couldn’t He just do it right where they were? Certainly, He could have sent Angel armies to protect Him, or He could have blinded the soldiers that came to kill Jesus. He had done such things in the past with prophets and kings.
We do know that these things happened to fulfill prophecy, but the most important part of this passage is that Mary and Joseph did not rely on their own understanding. When they were told to leave and where to go, they didn’t hesitate. God had supplied them with a treasure from the wise men to pay for their expenses along the way and maybe even the whole time they were in Egypt.
This is the message to take from this passage. When you know that God has called you to something or is leading you away from something, don’t hesitate. Don’t lean on your own understanding. Maybe there is a psychotic lunatic ready to inflict harm on you or maybe it is just where God’s blessing for you is located. Whatever the case, God is smarter, and He can see the big picture. Trust that He has your best interest in His heart and is leading you in the right path. He is always leading you to His goodness.
Today I want to encourage you to take time to hear God’s direction to your heart for your life. Don’t ignore nudges or promptings from the Holy Spirit to lead you away from trouble or problems. Sure, God can protect you in the middle of things, but if He is trying to steer you away from difficulties, wouldn’t it be better to just avoid them altogether? God really is out to get His best to you, but He needs your cooperation in order to line you up with it. Trust Him today and begin listening so much closer than you ever have before. In that way you will miss out on a lot of traps and struggles that your enemy has planned for you.
Today’s scripture reading: Matthew 2:16-23
16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying: 18 “A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.” 19 Now when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20 saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child’s life are dead.” 21 Then he arose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned by God in a dream, he turned aside into the region of Galilee. 23 And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, “He shall be called a Nazarene.”
