Twists and Turns

Happy Sunday, and Happy New Year's Eve. I pray that you had a great Christmas and are more connected to God than ever. I want to thank you for being faithful to listen to my messages or watch them this past year. I look forward to 2024. I also want to thank many of you who kindly donated in the past last year; you'll receive your tax deductible statements in a week or so.

Do you recall what you wanted to be when you were a child and dreamed of growing up? Do you recall where you wanted to live and how your life was to be? If you're retired, are you anywhere close to where you plan to be? I had a friend in college who stopped dating a girl because she planned every minute of her life, shortterm and longterm. She was on a schedule; he was lucky at times to get penel in.

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm all for planning, and I'll make my plans for 2024. Yet I realize that life has its twist and its turns, and that no amount of planning can account for those twist and turns. Sermons come from all sorts of places. Today's sermon comes from the life of Mary and Joseph.

I'm astonished at the faith of Mary and the trust of Joseph. She, a virgin, became pregnant with the Messiah. She accepted her role, and Joseph accepted his role as well. Their faith is to be applauded. This indeed was a great twist.

What I want to focus on today was their Journey. Scripture tells us that they had to leave Nazareth and head to Bethlehem for a census; we learned that in Luke Chapter 2. Nazareth to bethlehem's about 90 miles. I cannot imagine walking with my pregnant wife such a distance. When they arrived in Bethlehem, there was another twist: no room was to be found, so Mary had to give birth to the Son of God In A Manger.

Their story took another turn. According to Matthew Chapter 2, Joseph and Mary and Jesus had to flee from Bethlehem to Egypt because of the evil plans of Herod. That was another 40 miles or so. We're not sure how long the family had to stay in Egypt. It could be weeks, could be months, could be a couple of years.

I bet Joseph and Mary had to wonder what in the world was going on. After the death of Herod, they were able to return home to Nazareth. The distance was well over 120 miles. I think of the song "Mary Did You Know." I'm sure she did not.

Maybe there should be a song, "Joseph did you know." He had no idea either. Their life was filled with twist and turns, and no amount of plan planning could have accounted for this. I tell you this today to say, if 2023 was a year of twist and turns, you're in good company.

Jeanie and I received a Christmas card from a young lady that's very special to us, and she simply wrote, "2023, what a year." We knew exactly what she meant. Her family had its share of unexpected plot twist. Maybe 2023 was hard for you. Maybe your life is not where you planned it to be.

Let me encourage you with some words from the book of James. In chapter 4 we find this truth, in verses 13, 14, and 15. James said, "Look here, you who say, today or tomorrow we're going to a certain town and we'll stay there a year, we'll do business there and make a profit. How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog; it's here a little while and then it's gone. What you ought to say is, if the Lord wants want us to, we will live and do this or that."

As 2024 is upon us, I encourage you to include God in all your plans. Part of that planning involves trust in the twist and turns that are always coming. As I look back at my life, God has blessed me beyond my plans, even encouraging the turns and twist. May God bless you. Enjoy the ride. Trust him.

Pray with me. God, I know a lot of my friends that are watching this had some tough times in the past year, and yet here we are, and you've walked alongside them and held them close and sustained them. And now it's a new year, and what we should have learned is that, well, we should include you in all our moments and trust you wherever you take us. Thank you for the example of Mary and Joseph, for their faith and their love and their trust. Help us to be that way always. In Jesus name we pray, amen.

God bless. Thanks for joining me today.