When Eric was around 3 or 4 years old, he asked me a question that I have long since pondered. This question opened a new insight that has since made me wonder what I would have done and believed if I had lived during the time Jesus was on earth.
It was close to Christmas and the story of the angel appearing to Joseph had Eric's mind working overtime. He contemplated and stayed in deep thought as he mulled it over in his young mind. I knew something had been on his mind, but it took a while before he told me what had him so perplexed. Eric was not one to ponder things for long before talking to me so, I knew this had to be big and boy, was it ever!
Eric, "Mommy, how did Joseph know the angel was real and not just a dream?"
Me, "He just knew. He knew God had sent the angel to him to tell him what to do."
Eric, "But, how did he know it was real and not just a dream?"
Me, "He felt it in his heart."
Eric, "We feel dreams and a lot of things. How did he know? Why did he believe the angel?"
Me, "Because Joseph loved God and he knew God so well that God told him it was real."
Shew! The conversation went on like that for quite a while and for several months to come. We discussed how God feels in his heart.He understood that, but he just couldn't imagine a real angel appearing.
As an adult child of God, I understand how Joseph knew. For a child, I can see how this may be difficult to understand. Think about dreams you have had; especially, when you were a child.
Then I took the thought deeper. How did Joseph know? If that happened to me today, would I have believed it was real? How did others know later in the life of Jesus that He was the Saviour? The majority of the world said He wasn't. Would I have been brave and followed Him? If He had come to me and told me to leave all my worldly possessions and everyone and follow Him, would I have gone? Would I have believed and followed or would I have been one of the ones that explained away all the miracles He performed? Think about it. Think about if that had happened in your lifetime what would you think, feel, do? Put it in today's perspective. Would it be too hard to believe? So many things in life that are miracles from God, we just explain away.
I think it is so easy to think I would have done as the followers did. I think it is easy to think this way because I know the history, but what if I had lived during the time the history was being made? Until Eric's question, I had always thought how great it would have been to have lived during the time Jesus was on the earth in the flesh. I had never truly thought about how a real person felt; how they may have struggled to believe that Jesus was, in fact, the promised Saviour.
I thank God that I have the advantage of knowing the history of Jesus. I believe Jesus does want us to leave our worldly possessions and follow Him today; to trust Him completely with every area of our lives. I believe we are blessed with the advantage to know the stories; the history of Jesus' life on earth. We learn a lot from history. We did not have to pass the particular test of faith of living during that era. While I would have loved to have walked with Jesus in the flesh, He made it easier for you and me by letting us live in an era that has the history to learn from.
I am sure that there were people during His life on earth that believed, but were content to just go about their daily lives much like people do today. Those who don't testify unless in the "right" setting such as church, etc. I learned more about putting myself in another's shoes since that day that Eric presented me with that question. Now, through Brandi, I have learned another part. I am not testifying to others. I have become, or maybe always was, one of those people content to go on about my daily life; believing, but not working to bring others to Jesus through testimony. I testify safely, when I am sure it is right such as with another believer. I pray that God gives us the courage and helps us recognize the opportunities He gives us to testify. I pray that we step out of our comfort zone and testify so that others may come to know our Father through Jesus Christ.
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