DECEMBER 6 EXTRAORDINARY By Karen Smith Dean of Women, Word of Life Bible Institute
When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. (Matthew 1:24)
In the classic devotional, My Utmost for His Highest , Oswald Chambers states: "All of God’s people are ordinary people who have been made extraordinary by the purpose He has given them." This is never more evident than when we read the Christmas story. If you or I were going to write the story of God’s Son coming to earth to save the world, we would write it in a completely different way—well-to-do family of high standing in the community, birthplace in a palace with nurses and maids attending, trumpets heralding the birth throughout the land and highly prestigious guests. But God chooses a simple teenager and humble carpenter from a quiet corner of the world. Ordinary people. While studying the Gospel of Matthew, I have been intrigued by Joseph. He’s sort of a background character in the story. We don’t know a whole lot about him, but we do know he was faithful. He loved Mary, and when he found out she was pregnant, he didn’t want to humiliate her by a public divorce. He was going to do it quietly because he cared for her. When the angel appears, his response (this time and every time) is immediate obedience (Matthew 1:18-2:23; Luke 2). He knew God and trusted Him even though the situation seemed outrageous. This was the man that God tapped for the role of earthly father for His Son. If I were writing the story, I would have picked the most notable priest with impeccable credentials and authority of the Law. And I would have gotten it all wrong. God chose an obscure man because he was well-schooled in humility, wisdom, kindness, and faith. An ordinary man was called to an extraordinary task—to be the earthly father to the Messiah. So much is left unsaid about Joseph’s life, role, and interactions with Jesus. But one thing we can know—he was extraordinary because of the task God gave him. We are all ordinary people who serve an extraordinary God. And because that is who He is, every task and opportunity He gives allows us to step into the extraordinary. Sometimes it doesn’t seem extraordinary, but rather insignificant. But with God, it is all extraordinary! Where has God asked you to be faithful when no one else is looking? God has given each of us a unique part to play in His extraordinary plan. Ask Him to show you how He is working around you and through your faithfulness.
Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker