Good Morning Friends,
Being in Bethlehem today is not like our Christmas carols. Living there now I think would be a painful experience for Christians. It is not “O little Town of Bethlehem”. Our popular version of the Christmas story ends frozen at the Nativity scene – with Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger, surrounded by Shepherds. That’s where the popular version of Christmas ends. The Biblical account goes straight on! As the shepherds leave, the Wise Men start out for Bethlehem, and no sooner have the wise men left than Herod screams out his diabolical order! There was violence back in the time of Mary and Joseph and the baby Jesus too. It all looks horribly familiar, and that’s because the Biblical version of Christmas, unlike the version we get through the media, is not about tinsel and sentimentality, but is about a real God who comes into our real world with a real plan to guide us to live like Christ.So, Are We Trusting God’s Guidance and Living in His Character?
Scripture: Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Colossians 3:12-17 (NIV)
When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt,where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.” When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi.Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: “A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.” After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egyptand said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead.” So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets, that he would be called a Nazarene.
Matthew 2:13-23 (NIV)
Message: In today’s Gospel scripture Joseph is warned in a dream to take Mary and Jesus to Egypt to escape Herod’s wrath. Later, God calls them back, fulfilling prophecy and showing His sovereign protection. We also have Paul in his letter to the Colossian believers to clothe themselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, letting Christ’s peace rule in their hearts and His word dwell richly among them. The first scene is both dramatic and deeply human. Joseph, Mary, and the infant Jesus are suddenly thrust into a life-altering journey. In the stillness of night, Joseph receives a divine warning: danger is near, and they must leave immediately. There is no time to question, no opportunity to plan—only the choice to trust and obey. This moment reminds us that God’s guidance often comes in ways that require immediate faith. His instructions may lead us into unfamiliar territory, but they are never without purpose. Egypt, for Joseph and his family, was a place of refuge but also a place of exile. It was foreign soil, far from home, yet it was exactly where God’s protection was found. Every movement—leaving Bethlehem, staying in Egypt, returning to Israel, and settling in Nazareth—was orchestrated by God to fulfill ancient prophecies. This shows us that God’s plans are not reactive; they are intentional, precise, and rooted in His eternal wisdom. Even when life feels disrupted, He is weaving a story far greater than we can see. In Colossians 3:12–17, Paul shifts our attention from the external journey to the internal posture of the heart. While Joseph’s obedience was expressed in action, Paul calls us to express our obedience through character… to be “clothed” with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience is to put on the very nature of Christ. These virtues are not seasonal garments we wear when convenient—they are the daily attire of a believer who trusts God’s sovereignty. When Paul says, “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts,” he is inviting us to allow God’s peace to be the deciding factor in our responses, decisions, and relationships. Just as Joseph’s trust in God’s word brought peace in the midst of uncertainty, we too can experience calm assurance when we surrender control to Him. And when “the word of Christ dwells richly” in us, our lives become a testimony—overflowing with gratitude, worship, and encouragement for others.
And So, together, these passages remind us that God’s guidance is both protective and purposeful. He leads us not only to safe places but also into deeper transformation. Our role is to follow His direction with trust and to live in a way that reflects His character. Even when the path is unexpected, we can choose compassion over resentment, patience over panic, and gratitude over grumbling.
Pray we are thankful for Jesus being our guide and protector. Pray when life takes sudden turns, that Jesus helps us to trust and see the whole picture and that God is working for our good. Pray God teaches us to clothe ourselves daily in compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Pray we let God’s peace rule our hearts. Pray God’s word dwells richly in us so that our lives reflect divine love in every circumstance.
Blessings,
John Lawson
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