Sensitivity

His sensitivity and quick obedience grabbed my attention. Normally we read Matthew chapters one and two during the Christmas holidays, but I found myself in that Gospel this week. Noticing the way Joseph heard God speak and then quickly obeyed His commands challenges me to do the same.

One could argue that it was easier for him having dreams than the way most of us hear from God - through His Word and the promptings of the Holy Spirit. However, how often have we awoken from a dream and then dismissed it as just, well, a dream.

Joseph awakes from a dream saying that his finance, who happens to be a virgin, is pregnant by the Holy Spirit. Most of us would think that was last night's pizza talking. Yet, Joseph obeys God's command and immediately marries Mary. (See Matthew 1:18-25.) That is a big step to take because of a dream.

This is followed by Joseph having another dream telling him to take Mary and Jesus to Egypt for a while. He doesn't even wait until morning, but immediately packs up and heads for a foreign land. All this over a dream. (See Matthew 2:13-14.) Later another dream lets him know it is safe to return to Israel. (See (Matthew 2:19-21.) Notice that he doesn't argue with God or wait for another sign.

Joseph knew God's voice. He was sensitive to God's leading and immediately obeyed what God told him. Joseph provides a powerful example of what it means to know his Master's voice and to quickly obey His commands.

Normally, we don't have dreams to tell us what to do; however, we have something that we don't have to wait for...God's Word. We also have the Holy Spirit living inside us to lead us and direct us 24/7. Jesus told His disciples about the work of the Holy Spirit in John 16:13, "When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come."

The more time we spend studying the Bible and praying, the more our sensitivity to the Holy Spirit increases. He will guide us in the ways we should go. And, like Joseph, we must we quick to obey.