After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and 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.

By this time Mary and Joseph were used to seeing angels appear to them, I guess as used to this as you can be after 3-4 appearances. And they followed their instructions, but they also used their God-given brains.

After Herod died, we see here they moved back from Egypt towards Israel, obeying the angel. But when they heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea, Joseph decided to settle back in Nazareth. This was to try and stay away from the heir of this evil man.

I have found that some in church act like every decision we make must be one that requires Godly intervention. For sure we should listen for God and be tuned into his voice. But he also gave us brains to make decisions on our own. Which house should we buy? How should we manage our money? Which career path makes the most sense? I have found that, while God does intervene in these decisions to enact his will, most of the time he leaves them for us to decide. And he will always be with us.

He cares far more about how we spread the gospel than he does what career path we take. He cares more about how I trust him in the process and grow my faith, than if I am always right and never stumble. And he cares if my heart is clean, more than the cleanliness of my uniform.

I also like the narrative here that again Joseph, Mary, and Jesus fulfilled the prophecy about Jesus. So many prophecies were fulfilled in Jesus. And all of our hopes and dreams are fulfilled in following him. God has great plans for each of us. He sees the future and he knows exactly the best way for us to live.

Lord, thank you for this example of Joseph, not only listening to you, but also making a smart decision on his own. You give us brains to think through decisions, you give us friends to give us wise council, and you allow us to listen to you at times too!