Matthew 1:18-21 “Now this is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant by the Holy Spirit. Joseph, her fiancé, being a just man, decided to break the engagement quietly, so as not to disgrace her publicly. As he considered this, he fell asleep, and an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. ‘Joseph, son of David,’ the angel said, ‘do not be afraid to go ahead with your marriage to Mary. For the child within her has been conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’”
Have you ever had a dream that changed your life? Dreams have transformational power. They can cause us to reevaluate our life direction.
This was the case with a young man named Joseph. He had some great plans for his life. He planned to marry a beautiful young lady named Mary. But his plans were disturbed by an unexpected turn of events.
When he discovered that Mary was expecting a child, he decided to gracefully break the engagement. Joseph must have been in deep emotional pain as he contemplated his options. He agonized over this decision to end the relationship with the woman he loved.
God did something special for Joseph. He gave Joseph a dream. This dream helped Joseph understand that Mary’s pregnancy was not a human-event, but a God-event. It helped Joseph discover God’s plan for his life.
Christmas is about dreams. Because Jesus Christ came, we can receive and understand God’s dreams for our lives. In relationship with Christ, God plants and nurtures dreams in us. His dreams show us His will, comfort us when we are unsettled, and confirm our destiny when we are confused.
Let God know how grateful you are for the dreams He has for your life. Let this Christmas be a time for renewing and reviewing God’s dreams for your life.
PRAYER
Lord, how wonderful it is to know that you have dreams in mind for us. You have saved us for a purpose. Help us this Christmas to discover the destiny you have designed for us, and give us the grace to pursue and fulfill it. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
