Morning by Morning,
December 18 - "Do Not Be Afraid" to Trust and Obey
Good morning, Lord Jesus. I
seek the heart of my Father, the mind of Christ, and the guidance of the Holy
Spirit, as I start my day in the communion of prayer with my God. ...
"'Joseph, Son of David, do
not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the Child conceived in her is from
the Holy Spirit. She will bear a Son, and you are to name Him Jesus, for He will
save His people from their sins.' And all this took place to fulfill what had
been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: 'Look the virgin shall conceive and
bear a Son, and they shall name Him Emmanuel,' which means, 'God is with us.'
When Joseph awoke from sleep; he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he
took her as his wife and had no marital relations with her until she had borne a
Son; and he named Him Jesus" (Matthew 1:20-25).
When Your Holy Spirit comes
into our lives and starts changing our plans, it's easy, and maybe even natural,
to be afraid at first. We start to think of what it would mean and what people
would think. We start to wonder whether we have what it takes to do what You say
and put our trust in Your will instead of our plans.
But You know our nature.
And You love us anyway. So You send Your word in the way You choose to encourage
our hearts to do what's best. Sometimes it takes a nudge; sometimes it takes
being hit upside the head with a two-by-four. Sometimes it even takes the angel
of the Lord speaking to us in our sleep. But You love us enough to speak to our
heart in a way we can hear. Then it's up to us, by the power of Your grace, to
choose to trust and obey.
Joseph chose to trust and
obey. He let You change his plans. Then he had the honor of being the
step-father of the Son of God, the Messiah of mankind. Though the Child in the
womb of his wife was not his own, Joseph named Him and raised Him for the time
entrusted to him to do his part in the unfolding of Your plans for the good of
all.
Our fear is often an
expression of our selfishness, just as our doubts are often an expression of our
faithlessness. But You know our nature. And You love us anyway. You have a plan
and purpose, a calling and destiny for each of our lives through every season of
our lives. They are good plans to fulfill the hope and dreams You've placed in
our hearts (Jeremiah 29:11). And You know we could never have the courage or the
wisdom to fulfill them on our own. You know we need a Savior who is not only God
watching over us but who is God with us. We need Emmanuel. We need Jesus. In
Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love
of Jesus, Tommy
Hays
Friends, I
pray the Lord encourage you in faith as He sends you His word in the ways you
can hear to trust and obey His plans for your life. Please pray the same for
me. God bless you, my friend.
Tommy Hays | Messiah
Ministries
Healing from the Inside
Out
2800 Tates Creek
Road
Lexington, Kentucky
40502
