When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”), and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”

I am sitting here serving on Jury Duty today. It is a not fun and sometimes very difficult service that as a citizen I do not get compensated well for. However, the right to trial by jury is a foundational right built into the constitution of the United States. It was a constitution designed by men who, by and large, upheld the righteousness, justice, and grace held out in the Bible. Many people in the world do not have these rights.
As I think about this purification law, as well as the required census earlier, these were required duties of citizens of the Jewish nation. One can try to get out of these responsibilities, complain about them, or get frustrated since we don’t think we have time, or it will be burdensome. But God allows for and uses our leaders and governance systems. We can see in the census required of Joseph and Mary, that it fulfilled prophesy and allowed Jesus to be born in Bethlehem. And we shall see that God will also use this required reporting for purification after birth as well.

My takeaways today are to look for God’s work in the midst of a duty I may not totally enjoy.

Lord, please help me to see opportunities today to bless and provide your love, truth, and grace. Thank you!