I’m learning something about recently spoken prophetic words. They can take some time to come true…or rather be fulfilled in our physical world. I’ve heard some prophetic words in the last couple of years and thought they would happen fast. Lo and behold, they haven’t. I’m still waiting.

I know, I should have known better. Look how long the people in the Old Testament had to wait for prophecies to unfold before their eyes. As I read those prophecies, I forget how long it took some of them to be fulfilled. In fact, more of those spoken words from the Old and New Testament are just now unfolding before OUR very eyes. All those strange things happening around the world are the fulfillment of pronouncements made in the scriptures.

Can you believe it? These unusual occurrences are the birth pangs Jesus told us we’d see. (Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 21)

As I take in the reality of this during Christmas season, I’ve thought back to Mary and Joseph.

The announcement of Jesus coming was not an out-of-nowhere-unexpected surprise. Thanks to Daniel 9, the whole nation was expecting the Messiah. Daniel’s prophecy was set to be fulfilled any day. Not only were the people ready but they were desperate. The guys in charge were the cruelest bunch to walk the earth at that time. And they were everywhere. The people had no way or place to run away from them. Men were longing for the Messiah to arrive and remove those harsh gentiles from their land.

Yet, were they really ready for Isaiah’s portion (7:14) of the prophecy? To have a virgin give birth?

Can you imagine the mixed emotions Mary felt when she tells her family, “Hey, guess what? Isaiah’s and Daniel’s prophecies are going to come true and I’ve been chosen to birth the Messiah. I’m going to have a baby…no I haven’t been with a man or Joseph. Trust me.” Even Joseph initially didn’t believe her.

But God…

The Lord helped Joseph accept that now was the time, and he was the man to guide the Son of God into human adulthood. Ready or not, Joseph accepted it all.

There was no support from the religious leaders either. The prophets and teachers of the day ignored all the signs…all the prophetic fulfillment. When the magi arrived and announced a king had been born. Those teachers and experts of the law knew where the wise men could find him. BUT none of them went with the foreigners to see if it was true. I have to wonder, why? Weren’t they wanting the Messiah to arrive?

From the Bible, we know the days of Mary and Joseph were a mixture of joy, rough and blessed. No matter what they faced, they were alive for such a time as that.

Many pastors are saying the same thing to us. We are alive for such a time as this. Days when wars, earthquakes, volcanoes, local insect plagues and more happen together for the first time. So much so, like I mentioned before, we can easily say we are in the midst of the birth pangs leading to THE DAY OF THE LORD. Let’s not be like those prophets of old. Expecting things to happen in a way only our minds will accept.

Let’s keep our eyes open as we head closer to the coming final day. Let’s be ready. Let’s keep focused on Him, so we hear His help during the distress of the times. He is our hope…always has been…always will be.