Matthew 1:18
This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.
Sometimes the process is painful, and we may not like it, but we can rest in the fact that our God is good and His plans are also! Mary and Joseph had a tough road to travel; in their society, they would have been ostracized and outcast for this unwed and unplanned pregnancy. They would have not only been shunned but also in danger of being stoned for this assumed violation of the Law. Yet God was with them in this plan and protected them as they walked the path laid before them. We, too, can trust our God to do this for us as well!
We can walk down the path He has laid before us with confidence that He is with us. The path may be painful, it may be hard and overwhelming at times, it may not be the path we would have chosen for ourselves, but we can know with certainty that our God is with us. For He promised never to leave us nor forsake us, but He will remain faithful in His steadfast love!
This world and the ruler of it will throw a lot of things at us to try to get us to fail and fall away from the Lord. Temptations, trials, and tragedies tug at our hearts and can weaken our faith, but thanks be to God, who gives us the overwhelming victory in Jesus Christ!
In my opinion, Mary and Joseph were the first people to pick up their cross and follow Christ. For both of them laid down their lives to follow and serve Him. They denied what their flesh craved and what society told them was right and instead followed their God wholeheartedly. They rested in the goodness and faithfulness of God and not the frailty of man. We, too, must make the choice whether to follow Christ with reckless abandon into eternal life or to recklessly abandon Christ and be lost for all eternity.
1 Corinthians 15:56,57- The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Matthew 1:24,25- When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave Him the name Jesus.
God bless! I love you all, but His love is the path we must travel to make it home! Glory, honor, and praise now and forever to Papa God, Jesus Christ our King, and the Holy Spirit!
Matthew 1:20,21
But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him 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 surely has and He surely will do it! Thank You, Jesus! Praise Your holy name! This morning as I read this verse, the Holy Spirit pointed out to me how patient, thoughtful, and measured Joseph is. He learns that Mary is pregnant, yet he does not act rashly or out of his emotions but instead thoughtfully examines the perceived problem through his God-fearing and loving heart. How many of us would have responded as Joseph did? Taking the time to ponder what to do, examining different answers to this?
If we are honest, most of us would have acted quickly out of our emotions or sense of right versus wrong and missed the blessing God had for us. For what Joseph thought was the biggest problem of his life turned out to be the biggest blessing! Joseph’s self-control, patience, and love gave room for God to move and meet him in that dream. Had Joseph responded rashly and quickly, the outcome might have been different – not for Christ or Mary but for Joseph.
When we get ahead of God or try to take things into our own hands, we can often skip over or miss the opportunity for God to move and make the way. Joseph is such a neat and powerful person in the Bible. His words aren’t recorded, the references about him are meager, yet the truths that he can teach us are not! God picked him for a reason, and this is just one of many examples why!
So today, where do we need to take a step back and thoughtfully examine a perceived problem in our life instead of acting out of emotions? Joseph’s heart was to honor the Lord and to love Mary, and by waiting on the Lord, he was able to do both! Will we wait on Him?
Psalm 27:13,14- I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.
God bless! I love you all, but His love is waiting for us; will we come? Glory, honor, and praise now and forever to Papa God, Jesus Christ our King, and the Holy Spirit!
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