The inhabitants of the Chanel Islands had a huge dilemma. The Nazis were
heading straight for them, and Great Britain had decided not to defend
Jersey and Guernsey. The cost of life would be exorbitant! However,
Great Britain offered the Islanders the opportunity to evacuate to the
United Kingdom. Sadly, as the Nazis were but a few days away, the
inhabitants had but 24 hours to make a decision.
Most of them
didn't know what would be best. Should they stay or should they
evacuate? It shouldn't be too hard to live with the Germans...Or maybe
it would be hard... However, they didn't want to leave their possessions
behind. They would lose everything they had! They would end up
penniless! And what about their children? Would they be safer on the
mainland?
The inhabitants of these islands had until 10 A.M. the
following day to register at the Town Hall for evacuation. It didn't
help that it was a blistering hot day, and the line up started very
early in the morning. An ice-cream salesman made a fortune selling
ice-cream that day! Business was good!
At the final count, 23,063
islanders registered for evacuation, almost 50% of the Island's
population. Who was right in their decision? Doubt remained in the
forefront of their minds.
At one time or another we, too, have to
make hasty decisions. At such occasions we also wonder if we have made
the right decision.
Joseph also had a hasty decision to make. The
day before he had welcomed magi from the Far East who bestowed precious
gifts to baby Jesus. The future looked bright and peaceful. However,
"When they (the magi) had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph
in a dream. 'Get up,' he said, 'take the child and his mother and escape
to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for
the child to kill him.'" (Matt 2:13, NIV2) How could this be?
Joseph could have remained undecided. Why leave? People from far off
recognized that the child was sent by God Himself. Surely they would be
safe...
Interestingly enough, Joseph never even doubted when the
angel summoned him to leave and move to Egypt, the country that
centuries ago had enslaved the Jews!
Joseph remembered when Mary
had told him that she was pregnant under the influence of God's Spirit.
He didn't believe her and wanted to break off their engagement. That
same night, an angel appeared to Him and confirmed that Mary, his
beloved one, had been telling the truth.
He had almost lost her
by his own stupidity. That angel had saved him from disaster, and now,
he knew without a doubt that he had to leave for Egypt. God is in charge
and knows what is best!
It was a good thing. Disaster hit the
neighborhood: "When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the
Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in
Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in
accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi." (Matt 2:16,
NIV2)
What a catastrophe it would have been if Joseph had been
undecided!
How often don't we make wrong decisions? If left on
our own demise, we have a 50% chance of making the right choice. Hey,
it's better odds than winning the lottery! Still, do we want to gamble
with our own lives?
The Islanders that remained in Jersey
suffered terribly under the dominionship of the Nazis. Most of them
ended up wishing that they, too, had moved to the mainland. However, it
was too late by then! Some tried to escape from this cruel regime. Some
succeeded. Others did not.
The only way to make the right
decision at all times is to rely on our Heavenly Father 100% of the
time. He is never wrong, and He has our best interest at heart! Joseph
would confirm on this, and so would Mary.
Why are we so stubborn
about making our own decisions?
"Ask and it will be given to you;
seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
(Matthew 7:7, NIV)
It's up to us to make the right decision. Who
will we trust?
Rob Chaffart
The Dilemma. Faithful to the Cause of Christmas, Part 4
Today's Bible Verse:
"When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was
furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its
vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time
he had learned from the Magi." (Matt 2:16)
The Dilemma. Faithful to the Cause of Christmas, Part 4
Announcement:
May your decisions always be good ones. With our Heavenly Father at the helm, we have nothing to worry as long as we depend on Him.
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