Reflections: The well-known Quaker, George Fox, would talk about the need for people to carry some quiet around inside of themselves. He stated, “Be still and cool in thy own mind and spirit, from thy own thoughts and then thou wilt feel the principle of God to turn thy mind to the Lord from whence cometh life; whereby thou mayest receive the strength and power to allay all storms and tempests.”
When I read that, I think about Joseph. He was a simple man – a carpenter
from a small out of the way village in the
So, why Joseph? Certainly he was a godly man, full of integrity, courage, and great strength of character. I wonder if another reason may be what George Fox mentioned. Perhaps there was a place within Joseph that carried some quiet around inside of him. Perhaps there was some stillness within his mind and spirit apart from his own thoughts. Psalm 46:10 states, “Be still and know that I am God.” With everything that was swirling around Joseph, he had the capacity to not only be still and to listen to God’s messenger but to respond as well.
Here is the lesson for us. As Joseph responded to God’s will, he also
received from God the strength and power to navigate all the storms that came
into his life. He did it with clarity, calmness, and faith. He was steady,
reliable, and devoted. We do not read much about Joseph, but what we see is a
man who was destined to be the surrogate father of our Lord and Savior. I see
Joseph as a quiet man, but beyond that, he was a man who carried around some
quiet inside himself. It was a particular kind of quiet that was reserved
exclusively for God and no one else.
I.
Questions over the biblical passage:
Matthew 1:18-25
1.
What word
describes Joseph in v. 19, and what was his intention?
2.
What did the
angel tell Joseph in vss. 20-21?
3.
What does
“Immanuel” mean? (23)
II.
Application:
1. Do you carry some quiet within yourself reserved only for God?
2. How does that kind of quiet work its way between you and God?