Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel. // Isaiah 7:14
“Oh man, that’s the end of the Old Testament,” my nine-year-old son lamented. He’d been reading a graphic-novel-style children’s Bible and had just finished the last pages of the Old Testament. He enjoys the action-packed stories in the history of God’s people best.
I’m the opposite of my son. Aside from the Psalms, I’ve never been drawn much into the books of the Old Testament. At times I’ve wondered if I “need” to know the Old Testament. Jesus fulfilled everything, so isn’t it good enough for me to know Him? I once also held the unspoken opinion that “I go to Mass, I don’t need to read the Bible too.”
Yet by ignoring the Scriptures, I limit my understanding of God’s plan. In giving little to no attention to God’s Word, I limit myself to even hearing Him when I pray. How can I possibly hear the Lord if I haven’t paid attention to His Word and become acquainted with His actions throughout time?
When I read the prophecy—clear as day—spoken to Ahaz in today’s First Reading, I thought of my son’s delight in the Old Testament. Followed by the Gospel when Saint Joseph received the message in his dreams (see Matthew 1:20-24), my eyes were opened to how beautifully the two testaments reveal the Lord’s heart to us.
A faithful Jewish man after God’s heart, Joseph would have known of the prophecy. He knew the Lord’s voice and was prepared to follow, even immediately upon waking from a dream!
What a gift to have both the Old and New Testament, to see how God has been working throughout all of history to reveal His plan of salvation, to prepare His people–like Saint Joseph–to receive and say yes to His plan. That’s how well I want to know the Lord’s voice so that without a doubt I know God is speaking to me.
Will you join me in a renewed commitment to reading Scripture and listening to the Lord’s voice? Saint Joseph, pray for us as we learn to listen and follow in faith as you did.
Say yes to His plan. // Gina FenstererClick to tweet
Gina Fensterer is a wife of 20 years and mother of six children. She is passionate about finding God in the ordinary moments of her vocation. She loves Adoration, praying with Scripture, long morning walks, and fitness. Gina homeschools her school-age children and runs a small shop with products designed to encourage women seeking holiness in their ordinary lives. She was a contributing author to And Hay Became Holy and our children's devotional prayer book called Rise Up. Find out more about her here.
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