What an interruption.

Matt. 1:18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.


Well Mary and Joseph had their lives planned out.  They would get married.  No doubt, a beautiful wedding is being developed.   Joseph would continue his carpentry business.  They would build themselves a nice little home and plan to have several children.

But something interrupted their plans.  Joseph finds out that Mary is pregnant.  Can you imagine how they must have felt.  By now Joseph has been told by God that the child is from Him.  However, all their plans have changed.  It's hard to find a beautiful wedding dress in a maternity size.  All their friends are talking.  If Joseph is not going to divorce her, he must be the father.  No matter how sincere they are, who would believe that this child's father is God?  For many people this would be too much of an interruption to bear, but not for Mary and Joseph.  They accept God's change of plans for their life and go where He leads. 

How would you react to such an interruption?  Would you accept God's change of plans so graciously?  Many times we read the Bible and pass judgment on the characters with a thumbs up or thumbs down.  However, we face the same circumstances in our own lives and we have to make similar decisions.

I remember the night that I accepted God's call to preach His gospel.  I also remember the day I got the call to leave my construction career and become a full-time pastor.  In 1999 my family and I had worked for 14 months remodeling a run-down little mill village house.  Just when we were about to move into it I felt God's leading to come to Dawsonville, Ga. to start a new church.  I wondered how my wife and two sons would react to this change of plans.  I remember my wife saying that God had already spoken to her and that she was willing to do whatever He wanted.  My sons had worked alongside of me for months.  How would they react to never even living in this new home?  It was so amazing to see them excited about following their father and their God to do whatever He wanted in a new town.  It was a real interruption, but one I am glad we accepted.

Often, it seems that the interruptions that God brings into our lives open doors for His greatest blessings.  Yet, we tend to see them as intrusions.  We resent God asking such of us.  Many times we even say no to God.  Yet, we would never know of Noah, Abraham, Moses, Rahab. and Mary had they not accepted these unusual interruptions into their life.  What is God talking to you about?  It just may be that His call will lead you to His greatest blessings.  In Luke chapter one we can see Mary's initial reaction to God's change of plans.  She declared, "My soul doth magnify the Lord."

Before you dismiss God's leading as an unwanted intrusion, consider the blessing God is bringing into your life.  Mary will throughout all eternity be glad for having the opportunity to bring God's Son into the world.  I will always be glad that I left construction to preach the gospel.  And you too will be glad that you accepted God interruptions with joy.

Just Saying