The Privilege of Divine Advantage

Discipleship Devotional, January 3rd, 2025

“And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.”
– Matthew 2:13-14 (KJV)

One advantage we have as children of God is the privilege of revelation. In our anchor text, it was revealed to Joseph in a dream what King Herod would do, and he took important steps as guided. Think about it—what an amazing privilege to have! This is not to say that God could not save the life of baby Jesus in another way, but it highlights how God chose to act through revelation and guidance.

For some of us, revelation may come in less spectacular ways or more dramatic forms. What’s important is that we follow divine direction. It does not matter if an angel appears to you, you see a vision, have a dream, or feel a nudge in your spirit. Whichever the case, the critical point is that when God reveals something, we must ensure we follow that guidance.

If the Lord explicitly tells you not to invest in a business, it does not matter the mode of communication He uses. What’s important is obeying His leading and guidance. We also find in the book of Acts that it was revealed to the church through a prophet that a famine was coming. Instead of praying it away, they used the advantage of foresight to prepare for it:

“During this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. (This happened during the reign of Claudius.) The disciples, as each one was able, decided to provide help for the brothers and sisters living in Judea. This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.”
– Acts 11:27-30 (NIV)

It’s also important to note that God does not always provide the advantage of foresight. In such cases, we must still trust Him as our present help in times of trouble.

Admonition

As this period marks a time when many have prayed fervently and received prophetic foresight for the year, it’s crucial to plan accordingly. Move forward and plan with the advantaged revelations you have received.