Walk With Me

Happy Saturday everybody. Today we are starting a little series on men of the Bible. We did our series on women, now it’s man’s turn. For this, I have recruited my uncle’s help since he has a lot more experience with men than I do and since I am not a man. I asked him to first choose 5 men of the Bible who influence him most and had faith that could be of encouragement to the men today. Here we go:

In a time of uncertainty and cultural pressure, God used Joseph to demonstrate obedience to God in choosing faith over fear. Joseph was chosen to be Jesus’ earthly father. Have you ever been put in a position where something unexpected happened to you, you can’t do anything about it, and people are gossiping and passing negative judgements on you? The angel of the Lord came to Mary to tell her she would carry Jesus, the Son of God, before coming to Joseph. Matthew 1:18-19 says, “Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.” After this, an angel of the Lord comes to him and puts his heart as ease, and he continues to marry Mary without worrying about the whispers that would go on behind their backs. His faith in God, the Heavenly Father, gave him to strength to become the earthly father of Jesus.

Waiting on God’s promises can be difficult. We see God using Simeon to show us He will use us in ways we can’t even begin to imagine. Simeon’s story is found in Luke 2:25-35, “Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.” Each one of us has a purpose, a divine destiny, and God promises to carry those out in us in His perfect timing. “The Lord is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made” Psalm 145:13. Do not feel forgotten and do not see waiting as an oversight from the Lord. Trust in His divine plan.

Fathers, look to Job for encouragement when raising young ones. As a man of integrity, Job exemplified what it looks like when a father loves his children so much that he will do everything in his power to ensure God’s favor on them. In the biginning of his book in Job 1:5 it says, “And when the days of the feast had run their course, Job would send and consecrate them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, ‘It may be that my children have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts.’ Thus Job did continually.” Job interceded for his children to ensure they were consecrated to God.

In Numbers we learn about a man named Phinehas, son of Aaron. “And the Lord said to Moses, Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, has turned back my wrath from the people of Israel, in that he was jealous with my jealousy among them, so that I did not consume the people of Israel in my jealousy. Therefore say, ‘Behold, I give to him my covenant of peace, and it shall be to him and to his descendants after him the covenant of a perpetual priesthood. because he was jealous for his God and made atonement for the people of Israel.’” Phinehas was a key figure in exemplifying zeal, faith, and divine favor. Mostly, he exhibited a profound zeal for God’s holiness.

In the book of Genesis, Abraham had a servant who was not given a name but most certainly given a story. He is given a command by his master, Abraham, and he follows that command out of faith. He loved and respected his master so strongly, he acted on faith and faith alone. His faith in his master drove his faith in fulfilling the Lord’s plan for him. “I said to my master, ‘Perhaps the woman will not follow me.’ But he said to me, ‘The Lord, before whom I have walked, will send his angel with you and prosper your way. You shall take a wife for my son from my clan and from my father’s house. Then you will be free from my oath, when you come to my clan. And if they will not give her to you, you will be free from my oath.” Genesis 24:39-41

These are just a few of the steadfast men God handpicked to be in the Bible. Each one has his own story and purpose as do each of you. When feeling stuck in waiting, look to Simeon, Elijah, David, Moses, and so many more who’s faith in patience exceeded their doubt. In seasons of uncertainty, look at Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus, who’s world got flipped upside down when a woman he was marrying became pregnant and not from him, but from the Holy Spirit. This sacrificial act of faith lead to him becoming the earthly father of Jesus, the Savior of man. For fathers struggling with raising children, Job is an example of how to raise children in a Christ-centered home. On days when you don’t have any motivation to live the Holy life, find encouragement from Phinehas.

Tomorrow we will dive into men’s roles in the Bible. There are many, many great men from the Bible we can talk about. These men in the Bible were the first to go through what you are going through, and they are talked about in the Bible for our gain. We have an incredible resource in the Bible for testimonies and encouragement so do not overlook it. Read someone’s story in the Bible today and let it inspire you to live your life with bold faith and courage.

Praying we all find comfort in reading our Bible,

Courtney McKean