The Whispers of God

Mary, Joseph and Jesus had moved to Egypt to escape Herod. We don’t know for sure how long they lived there. It was probably a few years. Once again they were settled and they had established a home and perhaps a business.

Another dream - a whisper in the night from God interrupts their lives. ‘Go back!’ It seems his first impulse was to go back to Bethlehem. They had roots there historically and relationally. I imagine they may have had good memories of the time they had spent in that small town with their new baby. Then fear arose as Joseph investigated the political situation. He didn’t respond out of that fear. But once more he responded to the leading of God. It came as a whisper from God in a dream. They went to Nazareth.

Bill Hybels, a renowned Baptist pastor in the USA, tells the story of how his father taught him to listen to and obey the ‘whispers of God’, - those quiet stirrings within. One ‘whisper of God’ he responded to was the profound event of his Dad sending him to a Christian camp when he was about 12 years old. Yet another ‘whisper of God’ seemed to be rather mundane as Bill made contact with a new neighbour. Both responses had eternal significance. Both moved the purposes of God forward.

Joseph responded to the ‘whisper of God’. His actions not only impacted eternity but fulfilled prophecy validating Scripture and strengthening the platform of truth on which we stand.

Little events in the lives of ordinary people impact history. Heroes and faith are usually not about big things; that is miraculous events or larger-than-life people. Heroes and faith are about ordinary people doing ordinary things, in response to a quiet whisper from an extra-ordinary God who lives with us. Emmanuel, God With Us.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You’ve promised that You live with us and in us. Help me to hear and respond to Your voice. I choose to stay so close that You only have to whisper. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.