He’s got the whole world in his hands—even Portugal. Matthew 2
1/30/2015 1:33:32 PM
Jan 29, 2015~Matthew #38 in series


He’s got the whole world in his hands—even Portugal.  Matthew 2

 

Greetings.

For weeks, maybe months, we (the corporate brothers) knew his father was getting sicker, but one thing Joao Paulo worried about was his mother—how would she handle her beloved husband’s impending passing, after all their many years together?  God had it all in hand.  You see, several weeks ago, Gina had a fall and broke her hip … sometime shortly after, another fall and broke her shoulder, spending days in the hospital, getting patched up.  One night in the hospital, she had an encounter with God—was it a dream, who knows?  All she knows is she felt his love, felt his peace, and felt the presence of God around her.  It impacted her greatly, and she told Joao Paulo all about it when he picked her up at the hospital.

This Monday last, Lorenzo, beloved husband and father, passed into the arms of God, with his precious ones around him.  Two days later, on our weekly conference call prayer meeting, Joao Paolo told us of the peace that he feels—describing the experience in all its detail, including an emotional visit to Fatima right after the funeral, where he got down on his knees to give his father to God.  Over the phone lines with us, he prayed the most beautiful prayer, and I tried to capture every word:

“Dear Lord, I have no words to thank you and express my words.  My mom’s eyes… I felt my father’s heart close to you.  I pray that all the people in the world will feel and experience what I did.  These moments make us think, and have you in our hearts every step of the way.  Thank you, thank you.  My heart is yours; my family is yours.  I will do everything for you.  You showed me again how big you are and how humble and small I am.  Sometimes we are selfish, we do mistakes but you forgive us.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

Why do I include such a story in talking about Matthew chapter two?  God has the whole world in his hands, and he guides the footsteps of his children.  God prepared a wife, who prepared a son that

there is peace in the presence of God.  

God is definitely into the details.  He prearranges the details and certainly doesn’t mind rearranging details for his children.

Matthew chapter two is an example of how God guided and protected the birth and early days of our Savior.  Matthew two is replete with great details; I invite you to read it by clicking:  http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=289503330

Jesus, Son of God, is born in historic Bethlehem, the city where Ruth from days of old, meets and marries Boaz, and becomes the great grandmother of David, who is raised in Bethlehem, the same place he is later anointed the coming king, by the prophet Samuel.  Meanwhile, above Bethlehem, there is a star in the night-sky that draws magi from eastern lands to make the long journey.

The Magi stop by the palace to ask Herod about this baby, born to be king…maybe not their best source of information to ask a megalomaniac about a coming king!  Still they find their way to the young child, Jesus, bringing gifts of meaning, symbolism and great earthly value as well.  But in due course, he reacted by ordering all baby boys under the age of two be slaughtered. 

But not before Joseph had been warned in a dream that his young family was in danger—‘take them to Egypt!’ And once again, Joseph heeded his dream, and obeyed God.  And interestingly enough, getting on the road again, having another guiding dream from on high, Joseph took his precious son and wife to Nazareth.   (which not surprisingly fulfilled yet another prophecy!)

Matthew chapter two.  Thank you, God, for inspiring the thinking of this former Jewish tax collector to record such details.  And God … well, it reminds me that no details escape your notice.  Not in the 700 years before Jesus’ birth when Isaiah prophesied about him, not in the genealogy that Matthew recorded, and not in the safety of the baby boy who would save the world, when he was threatened by Herod and his kin. 

Why?  Because you have the whole world in your hands—especially the well-being of your Son, our beloved Savior.   But 2,000+ years later, you also have the peace and well-being of one special family from Portugal in your loving hands as well. 

Oh God, how good, how great and how very loving you are.  I stand in awe of your majesty.

 Christine