The Domino Effect

A few months ago I begin a journey of reading through the entire New Testament. (The journey continues lol). Sitting at the kitchen table, the stillness of the morning calmed my mind as I started day one of my plan in the book of Matthew. The lineage and birth of Jesus, the visit from the magi, and the flight to Egypt. Chapters 1 & 2 were familiar passages- but this time something would grab my attention that I hadn’t noticed before.

-This was to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord.-

This phrase above would repeat itself a few times in these 2 chapters.

• Matthew 1:22 “…now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet.”
• Matthew 2:15 “… this was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet.”
• Matthew 2:23 “…this was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets.”

Why was this important? What was the Holy Spirit speaking to me? What lesson did I need to learn?

At what I deem as defining moments, the writer would emphasize, that what we were reading wasn’t just a moment, it was a moment that had to happen so that scripture might be fulfilled.

A picture of falling dominoes came to my mind.

The “domino effect” or chain reaction is described as the cumulative effect produced when one event sets off a chain of others.

Psalm 139 reminds us that every detail of our lives is planned by God. (vs. 16 “…Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. NLT)  Moments that are an essential piece of the Lord’s sovereign plan. Moments that may connect to a larger part of our purpose. And while we can’t read ahead through the book of life to see what or why these pivotal moments will need to happen, could we possibly take notice of what we see in the gospel of Matthew and apply it to our lives?

Could our obedience (or lack thereof) to the instruction of God create in essence a domino effect?

Look again at the events we see in Matthew:

• God spoke to Joseph in a dream and warned him not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife. Why? It had to happen. Isaiah 7:14
• Joseph took Mary and Jesus and fled to Egypt. Why? It had to happen. Hosea 11:1
• They then lived in Nazareth. Why? It had to happen

These events were foretold beforehand through messengers of God. They happened not by chance or coincidence but were the fulfillment of our Savior’s story. The beginning of Jesus’ life that would ultimately lead to the fulfillment of God’s promise to redeem our souls. Hallelujah!

I can’t say that I know what everything in your life means but we do know that God’s word will be fulfilled (Psalm 138:8). Take a little time today to reflect on what the domino effect means to you.  

Until Next Time,