Confirmation by Lisa Burkhardt Worley
When I look at the Christmas story, one of the beautiful aspects of it was the confirmation God gave both Mary and Joseph that this baby, Jesus, was of Him and was His Son. When the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary to relay the news, she was afraid at first but Gabriel said, “Do not be afraid Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.” Once Gabriel explained how this would occur, Mary was ready to move into her calling.
This idea of someone being impregnated by the Holy Spirit had never happened before and I’m sure was difficult for Mary’s betrothed, Joseph, to believe. Not wanting to expose Mary to public disgrace, Joseph decided to divorce Mary quietly. However, before he could act on those plans the same angel, Gabriel, appeared to him as well. This time he showed up in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” He received almost the same message, and because of that did not divert from the original marriage plans.
I thought, God still does this for couples. When he calls one he will confirm it with the other.
I think back to the time I was called to seminary, then twelve years later, to work on a Doctor of Ministry. Through supernatural scenarios, God confirmed these two calls on my life not only to me, but my husband, Jeff, as well, so he was not afraid to move forward with me into new territory.
When we left our church of eleven years, the Holy Spirit told us both that it was time to change.
More recently, when I received a dream about Toulouse, France and the dream led to traveling to Toulouse to film a documentary on an antisemitism, he confirmed it with Jeff as well, and he generously financed the project.
When couples face a major decision, it’s important to pray over it. If this decision is of God, He will show both husband and wife, whether it’s through a dream, repeat messages, God’s Word, or an impression on the spirit. We don’t have to move into new space without support. He did it for Mary and Joseph, and He still provides confirmation today.
“The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man. That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.”
(Genesis 2:24–25, NIV)