December #jammed: Grace, gifted.

Day 353: Blown Away.

 ^“Joseph and Mary brought Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord.” Luke 2:21

“Ding …ding …ding …” my phone chirped as photos of hurricane damage popped up on my screen. My parents had narrowly missed losing everything in Hurricane Irma, but their ‘spared’ neighbor hood was still littered with rolled-up metal roofs and car ports that had been thrown around in the wind. The short amount of time it took those winds to do that damage took them a long time to clean up.

Today’s verse has brought out my lack of education in Biblical studies. (Maybe some of my readers can fill me in.)  Jesus was brought to the temple in Jerusalem to be dedicated just 8 days after His birth, as recorded in Luke. But He had been whisked away to Egypt (where they remained until after Herod died, according to Matthew) the day after His birth.

^“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

Regardless of the timeline, it’s fascinating to see the hand of God on His Son as an infant. From Heaven, reaching down to care for and protect Him, while dotting every “i” of His own law. Sometimes, we look back at the timeline of our lives and we can see just how narrowly we escaped tragedy. Whether by the protective hand of God or miraculous answer to prayer, it’s obvious He made a way where there wasn’t a way.

Yet, what Jesus’ dedication to the temple illustrates is that even in the most impossible circumstance, He will make it possible for us to fulfill what He has prepared for us to do. He made a way for Mary and Joseph to follow the law. There’s nothing I could find recorded about them struggling to get there or fulfill their duty. They just went. It was what God said needed to be done and so they just did it.

What if we navigated life knowing that God has His hand on us like that? Steering us around those aiming after us, and making a way to follow in obedience? Life lived within His purpose for our lives. We make it a lot harder than it has to be …and it’s hard enough as it is. When we let go and let God, we allow Him to show us …to make a way where there isn’t a way. I hate to quote Frozen …but I have two elementary-aged girls so it’s kind of on cyclic repeat …

Let. It. Go.

Let God.

Father, Praise You for the parts of the Bible that I have yet to fully understand and put together. Thank You for revealing Your Word to us in pieces and parts to our hearts. Forgive any misinterpretation of Your Word that we assume. Straighten out our hearts intent, and align our interpretation of the Bible with Your Truth, always. Bless us to understand and remember it as we walk through our days. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

 Get the conversation started by commenting below, and let’s encourage one another as we face life in 2017 armed with grace! 

#greatgrace17

Happy Letting Go,

Megs

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