Advent
Meditation
December
22nd
30.
Out of Harm's Way
Matt
2:14,15 So he got up, took
the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt,
where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what
the Lord had said through the prophet: "Out of Egypt
I called my son."
The
world in which we live today seems increasingly unstable. Three or four
years ago, terrorist threat became a very real feature of modern life
and that has continued. In the past years the forces of nature have
also wreaked havoc in many parts of the world, and it seems that no
area of safe from possible natural catastrophe. Fear has become a very
real part of many people's lives as society has changed out of all recognition
from fifty years ago. Where is there some source of stability?
As
we look into these verses today and yesterday, we find our answer. Hollywood
has produced various films where rogue
government groups hunt the hero. This could be one such story and the
rogue authority is Herod. He is shortly going to have every child under
the age of two killed in an attempt to purge the land of a potential
competitor to his family dynasty. Very soon the land is going to be
very unsafe for this little family; their lives are under a very real
threat, even if they don't realise it fully yet.
And
that's where God's intervention comes in. God has bound Himself to permit
us free will – and that includes allowing evil men to be evil, so the
murder of the infants will happen. As terrible as that is, it cannot
be avoided. This is what sinful men do! However, while the plans of
Herod are being made, the Lord speaks to His servant, Joseph, in a dream,
knowing that this is a man who has proved that he listens and obeys.
Possibly God was speaking to all the other parents with young children,
but few if any heard.
Where
does Joseph and Mary's security come from? It comes from hearing God's
words of guidance and protection and responding to them. Note the twofold
aspect of that. God speaks AND they obey. God could have spoken and
they refused to go. In such a case Jesus would have been killed! No,
their security came from obeying what God said to them; it was that
which put them out of harm's way. Does God not move sovereignly to protect
His children? Yes He does, but more often than not, it seems that He
wants our co-operation. The story of Peter's escape from prison, from
the plans of a later Herod (see Acts 12), is a classic example of this.
God's angel told him what to do and opened up doors for him, but he
still had to get up, get dressed and follow the angel, step by step,
out of the prison. Do you see this? Our security is not some passive
thing, whereby we just sit back and let God pander to us. He wants us
to be an active part of His plans and so He involves us in our deliverance
from harm.
Is
this easy? Is this easy, this listening to God and responding to Him?
In as much as it requires us to learn to listen to Him, and the old
natural ‘us' would prefer to reason out our own lives, no, it's not
easy, but this is how it works! It's what we've been saying again and
again: this Christmas story is not a comfortable soft and mushy children's
story; it is an account of how God actually moved in the affairs of
men and women, and it challenges us who call ourselves His children,
to walk in the same way as them – the way of faith. When we learn to
do this, we can be at peace, in the strong assurance that God is for
us, and He who knows all things will lead and guide us – as much as
we will allow Him to lead and guide! Maybe you have a steep learning
curve ahead it you – but it's worth it! Go for it!
If
you wish to e-mail us any comment on this meditation please click here
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tony.thomas@rochfordcc.co.uk
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