Day 5 – Surrender
“But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead.” And he rose and took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee. And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, so that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, that he would be called a Nazarene.”
Matthew 2:19-23
Just because there is one curveball doesn’t mean there won’t be another. First, it was Mary’s pregnancy, then fleeing to Egypt, and resettling in Nazareth.
Joseph must have been tired, yet he still surrendered.
He was willing to listen and follow, even when he didn’t understand.
And through this, prophecies are fulfilled. I wonder if, many times, prophecies aren’t fulfilled through logical means but by the willingness to follow God into the unknown?
Inward: Immanuel, what do you want me to know? How/what are you asking me to surrender?
Outward: Immanuel, what do you want me to do? Help me to realize that just because something is surrendered, it doesn’t mean that I won’t have to trust you with it continually. Help me surrender even when I don’t understand. Grant me faith, grant me hope, grant me love, grant me peace.
