We’ve got your daily encouragement, written by Nate Hemphill.
Bible Reading:
Prophecy
When Israel was a child, I loved him,
and out of Egypt I called my son.
Hosea 11:1
Fulfillment
And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.
Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.”
Matthew 2:12-15
Word:
There are times of great turmoil in every person’s life when we feel overwhelmed and lost. Our hearts are saddened by the recent destruction and loss of life from a massive tornado that completely leveled towns in Kentucky. In times like these, when feelings of loss, pain and sadness come crashing down it is difficult to see God’s plan. How can anything good come from such horrible loss?
It is good to know that we have strong biblical evidence to show us that we can be assured, God is not caught off guard. In fact he is already preparing behind the scenes to bring restoration, healing and provision. In today’s dual scriptures, we read a prophecy from Hosea, over 700 years before the birth of Christ, “Out of Egypt I called My son.” Giving thought to the timing of this prophecy, if we were to put ourselves in the shoes of those eagerly awaiting the future Messiah – they were probably thinking, “Why Egypt? Isn’t that the place that our ancestors had to escape from?”
But God knew something that no one could have known about the future that he’d already made a plan to overcome. In the events surrounding the birth of Christ you’ll recall that King Herod ordered the killing of all male children under the age of two after becoming concerned about the prophecy of a new king being born in Bethlehem.
Joseph, Jesus’ earthly father, was warned in a dream to get up immediately and flee to Egypt with his wife and son. Joseph obeyed the warning and saved the life of Jesus. Isn’t it interesting, too, that Egypt was also the place that Joseph was sent to ultimately preserve the Israelite people centuries earlier?
We can take comfort in knowing that God is always ahead of us. He knows things about the future that we have no way of knowing, but we can rest in his plan and his great love for us. If we ever lose sight of this fact, just remember Romans 8:32, “He who did not spare his own son, but gave him up for all of us – how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?”
Prayer:
Lord Jesus I don’t always understand why I go through times of extreme loss, but I know that I can trust you. I know that you are making a way to restore me even better than I was before. I will continue to praise your name in good times and bad.
Skillwork:
Think back to a time of great turmoil in your life. Can you look back and see how God orchestrated provision, healing, and restoration? You may still be waiting for that time to come, but rest assured that God is at work.
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