December 27, 2017
After the wise men were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up! Flee to Egypt with the child and his mother,” the angel said. “Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” Matthew 2:13 (NLT) Our story follows the same path as the Christmas story. It’s a pattern, of sorts, that could be personalized like this. God gives us a promise, and in that promise, we find great peace. It’s the kind of peace that causes us to slow down, imagine new possibilities, and dream of a better future. Inevitably, soon after the promise comes, much sooner than we would like, the prompting comes – get up, start moving – because an enemy is coming to steal the promise.
The good news is that when we follow the promptings of God, He keeps us one step ahead of our enemy. When we trust God, He guides us and preserves the promise.
In the Old Testament, there’s a story of three young men who were thrown into a fiery furnace because they refused to not trust God (Daniel 3:19-30). When they were thrown into the fire, a fourth person appeared with them – it was God! Then the three walked out of the fire, unharmed, and everyone who witnessed their miracle praised God.
It’s another part of the same pattern for our lives. The enemy tries to destroy us, but God is with us. As we walk confidently through our trial, all those around us see the faithfulness of God.
2018 is upon us! Take a moment now, post-Christmas, to remember the promises God has given you. Truly REMEMBER – to the point that you can feel the faith rising within you.
Now let’s all GET UP together and move into 2018 following the promptings of God, confident that no matter what comes our way, GOD IS WITH US. With that kind of boldness, we will walk through 2018 in a way that causes everyone around us to see the strength of TRUSTING GOD.
My prayer for all of us as we close out 2017 and enter 2018 is that we remember God’s promises, trust God’s faithfulness, and rest in God’s victory!
God Bless You and Yours!
Mike Lewis
Cathedral