October 12 Daily Devotional

The Supernatural

Charles and Norma Ellis

Bible Reading:

Matthew 1:18-25

¹⁸Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
¹⁹Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.
²⁰But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
²¹And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
²²Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,
²³Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
²⁴Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:
²⁵And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.

Devotional:

In recent years we have gained more respect for the supernatural. With a resurgence of the evidence of the reality of demonic powers, Christians are becoming less apologetic for their belief in the powers of God that transcend the natural. This is a shameful admission to have to make but there appears to be a good deal of truth to it.

The events of the birth of Christ are steeped in the supernatural. God preserved the line of promise supernaturally. When the time came for the Messiah to appear He was miraculously conceived in the womb of the virgin. Then, as we read here, God in His tenderness ministered to the needs of the just man, Joseph, who was much distressed to find his betrothed with child, by supernaturally revealing to him an explanation of the cause of her pregnancy.

All these happenings, the timing, the circumstances, occurred as a part of the symphony God had been composing all through the years, the design He had been sketching in the Old Testament prophecies. The prophecy fulfilled in verse 23 was uttered some 750 years previously. Surely this transcends the natural!

The God we worship governs all things. He is over and above the natural, not bound by the laws He made to govern the natural world. Nothing is too hard for Him.

This is the God with whom we have to do. Let us take courage.

We are happy to have obtained permission to post as our current daily devotional Heirs Together of Life: Daily Bible Reading for Husbands and Wives, published by The Banner of Truth Trust. Don't be misled by the subtitle. As the book's "Preface" indicates (see below), although Heirs Together of Life is "especially prepared for couples,"the authors declare, "Since the basis for this guide is God's Word, we believe it would have value for any reader."

Charles and Norma Ellis are husband and wife and the authors not only of Heirs Together of Life (which was first published in 1980 and continues in print today), but also of Wells of Salvation (first published in 1985, and likewise still in print today). The latter contains a series of short studies covering the entire book of Isaiah, while the former contains a series of almost 200 short studies covering the entire Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. Both books by the Ellises can be ordered from the publisher, The Banner of Truth Trust. We trust that these daily Bible readings, posted daily on our site, will be helpful to you in your Christian walk before God. Whether married or not, all of us are members of families and members of the family of God.

Charles Ellis was educated at Wheaton College and Westminster Theological Seminary. Upon graduation from Westminster (where he earned not only a Th.B. but also a Th.M.), he was ordained to the ministry in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church and pastored a number of OPC churches, including Immanuel OPC in West Collingswood, New Jersey; First OPC in Cincinnati, Ohio; Covenant OPC in East Orange, New Jersey; Knox OPC in Silver Spring, Maryland; and Lakeview OPC in Rockport, Maine. Less biographical information is available about his wife, but it is known that they served as parents of seven children. After retiring from the ministry, Charles Ellis went to be with the Lord in 2003, but he and his wife left us with a beautiful legacy in the two books they have given to the world, and we are proud to share the daily Bible readings from Heirs Together of Life here with you.