My King of Glory, much has been said about the faith of Abraham and the submission of Mary to God’s purpose. As I thought about Your birth, it began to dawn on me how little recognition Joseph, Your earthly father, has received. He was betrothed to Mary but, before they came together, he found out that she was pregnant. Jewish Law allowed Joseph to divorce her or have her stoned to death. Because Joseph was a righteous man and did not want to expose Mary to public disgrace, he first thought about divorcing her quietly. But Your Father would have no part of Your coming to earth being sidetracked or tainted. So, He sent and angel to him in a dream saying, “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 will give him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.”
Joseph faced a tough decision after discovering Mary was pregnant. Although he knew that taking Mary as his wife would cause humiliation in their community, Joseph in faith chose to obey God in compliance with what the angel had told him. His obedience reveals several righteous qualities: His striving to do what was right; his desire to remain discrete and sensitive in their situation; his positive response to God’s request; his ability to think beyond what man thought to what God thought. While Joseph may have believed he had only two options, God showed him another way to resolve his problem. In the view of men, Joseph had only two options, but God showed him that there was another option. This should be a lesson to me that all things are possible through my belief in You as my problem Solver. Through Godly guidance he was able to make the best decision and so it is with me.
In the same way Joseph trusted that his God would make an untenable situation turn out for the best, may I show that same trust when I encounter an untenable situation in my life. You’ve promised that all things are possible if I will only believe. Joseph believed the angel and did as Your Father commanded and so must I. When my way is unclear, I must also trust that I will be shown the way to proceed. My decisions should be based on my ability to believe that what You are asking of me is good and is my way to show You my commitment. The strength of what I believe can be measured by how much I am willing to suffer for them. Joseph was prepared to do what was right, despite the pain and stress he would encounter. He not only wanted to do what was right, he wanted to do it the right way. Help me be a man, like Joseph, who stands behind what I believe. And it’s in Jesus’ name I pray. AMEN!!
Matthew 1:20 An angel of the Lord appeared to him (Joseph) 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.”