"Sometimes we make the mistake of thinking that only the right things, the comfortable things, are a part of God's design. A good job, an adequate home, and money in the bank give us the impression that we must be doing something right. Then when inconvenience or hardship hits, we wonder what went wrong."
From Joni's devotional today.
"In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. And everyone went to his own town to register."
--Luke 2:1,3
Unpleasant circumstances often have a way of being the best part of God's most magnificent design. Performing their civic duty under the census posed a great inconvenience to Mary and Joseph.
The distance between Nazareth and Bethlehem was no short hike over sixty miles of rugged terrain. Despite Joseph's attempts to make the trip comfortable, it must have been extremely difficult for Mary, into her ninth month of pregnancy, to make the three-day journey. But God decreed to have His Son born in the City of David, and He used an external circumstance-the census-to get the Holy Family from point A to point B. Despite the headache and hardship, God's sovereign timetable was ticking off right on schedule.
Sometimes we make the mistake of thinking that only the right things, the comfortable things, are a part of God's design. A good job, an adequate home, and money in the bank give us the impression that we must be doing something right. Then when inconvenience or hardship hits, we wonder what went wrong.
Maybe nothing has gone wrong. Maybe we just need to realize that our most unpleasant circumstances, much like Mary and Joseph's, often have a way of being the best part of God's most magnificent design. God's sovereign timetable is working in the life of your family, too.
O, help me to see, Lord, that every unpleasant circumstance in my life is, indeed, part of Your wonderful design for my life. I thank You for the example of Joseph and Mary, who did not complain over the inconvenience of a census, a rough road, a cold night, or a crowded inn.
Blessings,
Joni and Friends
http://www.joniandfriends.org/
Click HERE for joni's daily devotional page.
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