Psalm 25:9 NLT – ‘He leads the humble in doing right, teaching them his way.’
While studying Matthew chapters 1 and 2, I was struck by how often God guided Joseph, the earthly guardian of Jesus, in decision making. I wondered why God constantly spoke clearly to direct Joseph, and so I did a little research.
Looking through the Bible, God clearly reveals the type of people He chooses to lead. He leads the humble who have faith in Him and He resists the proud who are determined to follow their own ways.
James 4:6 (ERV): ‘God is against the proud, but he is kind to the humble.’
Psalm 18:25-27 (NIV): ‘To the faithful You show Yourself faithful, to the blameless You show Yourself blameless; to the pure You show Yourself pure, but to the crooked You show Yourself shrewd. For You save an afflicted people, but You humble those with haughty eyes.’
Joseph possessed godly qualities which made him leadable and teachable in God’s sight.
- He was pure and did not commit sexual immorality with Mary while they were engaged. (Matthew 1:24-25)
- He was merciful: He did not publicly disgrace Mary when he found out she was pregnant but planned to settle the matter secretly (Matthew 1:18-20).
- He was an obedient man: Every instruction God gave him in his dreams he followed without question (Matthew 2:13-14; 19-21).
As a result of his godly character and obedience, he was able to preserve his marriage. (God saw his heart and revealed that Mary’s pregnancy was from the Holy Spirit.) He was also able to preserve the life of young baby Jesus. (By heeding the warnings in his dreams, he avoided the people who wanted to kill Jesus.)
The guidance God gave to Joseph is not reserved for him alone. God wants to guide you in whatever you’re going through right now. He wants to preserve your purpose and the life of Christ that He has put in you. But first you have to cooperate with Him by…
- Doing justly – hate sin and stand for what is right
- Loving mercy – apply mercy when relating with others and judging evil
- Walking humbly with your God – be submissive to the will of God, repent of all known sin and display prompt obedience (Micah 6:8).
Like David in Psalm 32, if you choose to repent of all sin in your life and walk with God, you will get a sure promise of divine direction. Psalm 32:9 The LORD says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you. (NLT)
PRAYER: Dear Father, I am encouraged by the example of Joseph. Please forgive me of all my sins and teach me how to walk with you in spirit and truth. Please give me direction for my life and guide me in the way I should go in Jesus name, Amen.