I have been slowly reading through the book of Matthew for the past month. The bible is an amazing gift. Every time I explore it, Jesus becomes more alive to me and I understand more about the passionate heart of my Heavenly Father.

Mary came to Joseph and told him she was pregnant. Obviously, this disturbed Joseph since he knew he could not be the father. With that assumption in Joseph’s mind, he begins to make plans to end the relationship.

God speaks to Joseph in a dream. He filled him in on what was going on and gave him encouragement as well as directions for what he needed to do. He helped him see his important part in this story. Joseph woke up, and he obeyed.

Later on, after Jesus was born, God warns Joseph that Herod is looking for Jesus with a deep desire is to kill him. He is in danger. God fills him in on the danger and provides clear direction for where they need to go in order to be safe.

Joseph obeys and a prophecy is fulfilled! Share on X

What if Joseph did not stay?

What if Joseph did not obey, but instead tried to do things on his own?

My heart has been pondering these things.

I can look back on my life and see different scenes pass through my mind. There have been moments when I have chosen to obey and other times when I have chosen to ignore and disobey His prodding, His warnings, and His directions.

One of the most frequent thing God does is put people on my heart at the exact time He needs me to reach out to them. There are days when I have questioned the prodding, going back and forth in my head so much, I get dizzy. By then, I start questioning whether it is too late to reach out.

Sometimes He puts a stranger on my heart or someone I don’t know very well or that I know just from on-line. I fight with Him about the fact that these people may think I am weird and creepy. I struggle with being more worried about what people think about me, than just being obedient.

Yet, when I have obeyed it has produced some some of the biggest blessings, it has provided some of the most beautifully, unique ministry experiences, and it has built some of the most precious relationships I have… Share on X

Obeying God is terrifying sometimes. I love Him deeply but there are times when I question His ways and the things He is asking me to do.

When it truly comes from God and we trust and obey, the rewards are breathtaking.

As I have been reading about Joseph and Mary, I have gained an increasingly amount of respect for Joseph. It has caused me to think about what would have happened if he had not obeyed Him.

There have been times when I have avoided or pushed the prodding aside, thinking it was just in my own head. I found out later, I had missed a pivotal moment when God wanted to love someone through me.

I am learning to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit. I am learning not to question, but to trust and obey. It is an incredible privilege to be used by God in that way.

What about you?

What if you obeyed the directions God is giving you in your life?

What if you stopped questioning God’s ways and just walked in them?

What if you reached out to one person you don’t know very well?

What if on a bad day, you smiled at someone anyway?

What if… Share on X

I know that today if God puts someone on my heart, I am reaching out. I will do it even if I don’t know them very well. I will do it even if it is uncomfortable because the world is changed, and God’s plans fulfilled, as we walk in obedience in the steps He has given us for today.