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.” -Matthew 2:13-14
It was some time after Jesus had been born—just after the wisemen departed—that Joseph was given this dream warning him to take Mary and Jesus to Egypt. King Herod had received word of the newly born King of the Jews, the Messiah, and he was fully set on destroying Him. It was at this crucial time that God spoke to Joseph in a dream for a second time.
Before Jesus was born, Joseph had heard from God in a dream, instructing him to take Mary as his wife. That dream had come at a time of sorrow and distress for Joseph. He had been suffering the confusion and disappointment of a broken relationship with his new bride. It was in that moment that God spoke to Joseph, bringing words of comfort, reassurance, and direction. And Joseph had listened.
This dream was different. Joseph and Mary were unaware of the wicked plans laid out for their new son. When Joseph was given this dream warning him to take his family and escape by night to a foreign country, it would have been alarming and unexpected. But God knew that Joseph was obedient, and he had already tested Joseph through the first dream He had given him long before.
When God speaks to us, do we listen?
Even in the small things, the Holy Spirit is continually speaking to our hearts—convicting, correcting, directing, and encouraging us in our journey of faith. When we hear His voice in our heart, it is crucial that we develop a pattern of obedience. Because when we listen to His voice in the small things, we create a life that is built on faith and obedience.
Faith and obedience are qualities that grow within us the more we practice and apply them. Just as Joseph listened and obeyed God by taking Mary as his wife, he also listened when God told him to do something far more urgent, even if it didn’t make sense to him at the time. Let’s trust the Holy Spirit when He speaks to our hearts and respond in faith and obedience in the simple things. And may God give us the faith that we need to follow Him wherever He leads us.
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