Here an angel once again appears to Joseph and tells him that it is time to go home. So, Joseph and his little family pack up and head back towards Judea, but God warns Joseph in a dream not to go to Judea, so Joseph and his family settle in the region of Galilee, in the town of Nazareth. This fulfilled the Old Testament prophecy that the Messiah would be called a Nazarene.
What really strikes me in this short passage is the beauty and simplicity of a life lived in sync with God. It seems to me that God communicated readily with Joseph because Joseph's heart was in sync. By that I mean 1) Joseph was willing to hear from God, and 2) Joseph was willing to obey what he heard.
There is a part of me that thinks obedience would easier if an angel showed up every once in a while to give me detailed instructions. But then, I'm reminded of the spiritual reality of our lives as Believers today. Jesus said that His sheep (us) would know His voice. This implies -actually more than implies, certifies, that Jesus is willing, and in fact, does speak to His followers. AND, we have the Holy Spirit residing in us -not out there somewhere -in us!
Putting those two thoughts together -God does speak, and the Holy Spirit is in us, it has got to be true that hearing from God is actually quite simple. Hearing from God is as simple as tuning our hearts to hear. If we, like Joseph, are 1) willing to hear God, and 2) willing to obey what He says, then we (like Joseph) can live out the beauty and simplicity of lives in sync with God.
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