Don’t you love it when a plan comes together? Yesterday we were collaborating on an engagement proposal. In our family, there are spontaneous persons and rigorous planners. You can probably guess which group I am in. Our challenge was trying to arrive at an exact location in a different state at the exact moment we were supposed to get there. What could have possibly gone wrong?
In his Gospel, Matthew walks through 42 generations of God’s plan. Then he brings us to Joseph. Joseph was probably not planning on marrying a young woman who had already conceived. But an angel let him know that he was part of God’s bigger plan. How do we know this was God’s plan? Over 700 years before, God spoke to Isaiah about a virgin conceiving a child. Again and again, Matthew will say, “This happened to fulfill the prophecy...” Joseph’s obedience integrated him with God’s plan.
Many of us already have our future plans figured out. Proverbs 19:21 says we can have many plans, but the Lord’s purpose prevails. Exactly how is God revealing his plan to us today? We would do well to go back to the book. In his word, God shows us his plan to save us and transform us to become like Christ. At the moment, we may not be able to see it. But someday, we can look back and say, “That was all part of God’s greater plan.” What is our part today? Like Joseph, we obey God’s revealed will in his word and we trust him for everything else.
