January 18, 2008

 

When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

 

--Matthew 1:18-21

 

Most people, at some point in their life, have suffered the loss of a dream. And it can be an incredibly painful experience.

 

But one of the most powerful things we can learn from a man like Joseph is the example he set for you and me in the midst of heartache, confusion, disappointment, and shame. Through all this, Joseph remained open to what God wanted to do in his life.

 

And when God gave Joseph a new dream—a dream that was bigger than he ever could have imagined—Joseph was willing to say yes to God. Despite his fear and uncertainty and regardless of what people thought, Joseph was willing to trust and obey God. And as a result, Joseph lived one of the most significant lives in history as the man who raised and nurtured the Son of God!

 

You know, sometimes it’s easy to look at ourselves and think we could never do something significant for God. But as the Scripture says in 1 Samuel 16:7, “For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.”

 

If God can use ordinary people in the Bible like Joseph and Moses and David and Peter, He can absolutely use you!

 

Lives of significance are not made by fame or fortune or personality or talent… but by godly character and obedience to the Lord. And those are qualities that every person can attain.

 

So let me ask you… have you asked God to show you His dream for your life? Have you dared to imagine that He can take you—with the personality and gifts and desires that you have now—and use you for His glory?

 

As you remain faithful in living out your faith in everyday obedience—just like Joseph did—you will find that God will use you to make an impact that is far greater than you could ever imagine!

 

Lives of significance are not made by fame or fortune or personality or talent… but by godly character and obedience to the Lord.