“But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, and said, “Get up, take the Child and His mother, and go into the land of Israel; for those who sought the Child’s life are dead.” So Joseph got up, took the Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel.” (Matthew 2:19–21, NASB95)
But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, and said, “Get up, take the Child and His mother, and go into the land of Israel. When God prompts us to move its because He knows things we cannot know. All we have to do is trust that He has insider information! Moving at the whim of God is the easiest choice to make when we realize God sees all that happens and knows when the timing is best.
When should we go? How long should we stay? These questions can haunt the disconnected disciple. In reality, they are easy-to-know truths. God moves us when the time is right. And, as a result, we have to be sensitive to His voice. You see, discipleship today is just like it was in the 1stCentury.
Jesus would walk with His disciples and His disciples would follow Him. They talked and interacted, going wherever He led them. The only difference today is that Jesus isn’t present in a physical body. However, as Jesus explained before He left earth, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.” (John 14:23, NASB95)
With the indwelling Father and Son within us, we have a greater advantage than Joseph did as he labored in Egypt and waited for word that he could take his young child, Jesus, home. When we listen to the voice of God within us, when we choose to align our heart and mind to what that voice says, we move in freedom, safety, and security.
Peace overflows our hearts and minds and anxiety falls away when we know that God will move us as soon as things are optimal for us. Until then, we wait with quiet confidence. God is working behind the scenes. He longs for our best. He has an abundant life prepared for us. He knows what we need. When things fall into place – perhaps at His nudging – He will notify us and we will be on our way again.
For the moment, until God speaks, trust and be patient!
Train Them Thursdays seeks to wed the Great Commission directive of Jesus with the practice He employed while on Earth. Each nugget is meant to encourage the reader with a “can-do” spirit to realize that discipleship is something each person is both capable of and empowered to accomplish. Dr. Matthew Lee Smith, Executive Director of Eagles In Leadership, writes each thought and they flow out of decades of his tried and true field-testing in multiple settings from rural to inner city. He welcomes your comments below.
