The Need for Wisdom

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” Matthew 2:1-2

Jesus’ birth ushered in a new beginning for humanity. But with new beginnings comes the need for wisdom.

Even the holy family needed wisdom. Jesus, the Savior of the world, was their child. But this did not exempt them from total dependence upon God for wisdom. It made their need for wisdom more critical.

There are seasons in life when we are sojourners. A sojourn is a temporary stay, a time of transience. A time of moving, changing, and sometimes longing for home or security.

When I read the sojourn of Joseph, Mary, and Jesus in Matthew 2, I am struck by how similar it is to our need for constant wisdom today.

A pattern emerges:

Joseph rested, 

God gave wisdom, 

Joseph rose, went, and remained.

Joseph rested again, 

God gave him wisdom, 

Joseph rose, went, and remained.

In the end,

he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, so that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, that he (Jesus) would be called a Nazarene. Matthew 2:23

Wisdom led to the fulfillment of prophecy and promise.

I wonder what mental, emotional, and spiritual state Joseph was in during these years of Jesus’ early life. The words of Philippians 4:6-7 had not yet been penned:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Stressed out, fearful people find it hard to sleep. Especially fathers.

But Joseph had been trained in the school of trust. His conduct in Matthew 2 seems evidence of a man, father, and husband who trusted God enough to rest, knowing the wisdom he needed to do the impossible tasks he’d been given would be provided at exactly the right time.

And it was.

Rest.

Receive wisdom from God.

Rise.

Go.

Remain.

Repeat.

What a good habit to cultivate during a time when global pandemics, political upheaval, wars, and natural disasters wreak havoc on the world, stripping us of the constancy and stability we once took for granted.

We can trust God to give us wisdom in His way and in the right time. Because of His faithfulness, we can rest as we wait for Him to show us the next step.#newyearsresolution Share on X

God’s wisdom comes in many ways. My sojourn with Him has brought me to a land where people do not have to be persuaded that He still speaks in dreams. For many of them, the first time they met Jesus was when He appeared to them in a dream. He speaks in dreams, in His Word, and through other people. God speaks today.

When He gives wisdom, we have to take action. When we rise and go, God leads us and guards us, just as He did Mary, Joseph, and Jesus. 

If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. 

Psalm 139:9-10

And what more can we do than remain in the place He brings us, resting again until He gives further instruction?

We could read the whole narrative of Matthew 2 as a highly stressful time of transition, where mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual health were at stake. We could see it as annoying and unstable. We could assume God was not providing a very safe and secure beginning for His Son.

We see our life circumstances that way sometimes. If things aren’t comfortable, stable, routine, we get irritable and angry, sick and exhausted. We question and blame God. We are anything but peaceful.

But what if we reframed our sojourn? What if saw we our present circumstances as part of something much bigger, something so great that our trust in God could make Jesus known to the world? What if we rested instead of stressed, trusted instead of planned?

And waited for wisdom.

Rose.

Went.

Remained.

And rested again.

If we did this, what role might we play in the fulfillment of God’s promises here on earth?

I am so thankful Joseph trusted and obeyed. His decision changed my life, and yours.

Lord, help me see my circumstances through Your eyes. I will rest and wait for Your wisdom. Give me courage to rise, go, and remain, trusting You each step of the way. Amen.

@audreycfrank