Mary already had a wedding engagement. But, before the marriage, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man who did not want to publicly disgrace her, so he chose to end the engagement in private. Joseph could have brought this to the attention of the elders and council to have Mary punished as required by law. Being pregnant before marriage is sufficient evidence of an immoral connection, and the individual is subject to execution by stoning. Mary’s existence was on the verge of extinction. But Joseph was concerned about her safety. Despite being devastated by the news that his fiancée was pregnant, Joseph took the grief upon himself. Imagine Mary’s situation if Joseph carried through with his intention to end the engagement. Her future would be in jeopardy even though she had done nothing wrong. She did nothing but submit her life to the will of God. But the one who guards Israel will neither sleep nor slumber. Yes! We see God getting into action on Mary’s behalf. He sent his angel to Joseph to tell him the real plan behind what was happening. In verses 20-23, we see an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” The angel further said that all of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet: “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ’God is with us.” The divine visitation changed Joseph’s plans. He listened to those words and decided to proceed with the marriage so God’s plan would be carried out without interruption. He was willing to delay having a physical relationship with his wife for the sake of God. He was willing to sacrifice all in order for God’s will to be realized. Key takeaways: Joseph was gentle and concerned about Mary. Joseph listened to the angel and obeyed his instructions. Joseph was patient, sacrificial, and vigilant to ensure the fulfillment of God’s purpose. Mary was safeguarded because she was faithful and submissive to God’s plan. God intervened with Joseph on Mary’s behalf and ensured she was cared for well. It is natural for humans to make knee-jerk decisions in similar situations based on human intellect. However, God is trustworthy and will give us warnings and direction to assist us in avoiding making mistakes. He will be kind enough to reiterate His purpose. All we need is Obedience. Will you??Are you gentle like Joseph, handling difficulties quietly without bursting? ?Are you sensitive to God’s voice and revelations? ?Are you obedient like Joseph in carrying out everything God reveals to you today without argument or justification?
? CHRISTMAS ? Devotional - Day 04
“Mary already had a wedding engagement. But, before the marriage, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man who did not want to publicly disgrace her, so he chose to end the engagement in private. Joseph could have brought this to the attention of the elders and council to have Mary punished as required by law. Being pregnant before marriage is sufficient evidence of an immoral connection, and the individual is subject to execution by stoning. Mary's existence was on the verge of extinction. But Joseph was concerned about her safety. Despite being devastated by the news that his fiancée was pregnant, Joseph took the grief upon himself. Imagine Mary's situation if Joseph carried through with his intention to end the engagement. Her future would be in jeopardy even though she had done nothing wrong. She did nothing but submit her life to the will of God. But the one who guards Israel will neither sleep nor slumber. Yes! We see God getting into action on Mary's behalf. He sent his angel to Joseph to tell him the real plan behind what was happening. In verses 20-23, we see an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. "Joseph, son of David," the angel said, "do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." The angel further said that all of this occurred to fulfill the Lord's message through his prophet: "Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means 'God is with us." The divine visitation changed Joseph's plans. He listened to those words and decided to proceed with the marriage so God's plan would be carried out without interruption. He was willing to delay having a physical relationship with his wife for the sake of God. He was willing to sacrifice all in order for God's will to be realized. Key takeaways: Joseph was gentle and concerned about Mary. Joseph listened to the angel and obeyed his instructions. Joseph was patient, sacrificial, and vigilant to ensure the fulfillment of God's purpose. Mary was safeguarded because she was faithful and submissive to God's plan. God intervened with Joseph on Mary's behalf and ensured she was cared for well. It is natural for humans to make knee-jerk decisions in similar situations based on human intellect. However, God is trustworthy and will give us warnings and direction to assist us in avoiding making mistakes. He will be kind enough to reiterate His purpose. All we need is Obedience. Will you??Are you gentle like Joseph, handling difficulties quietly without bursting? ?Are you sensitive to God's voice and revelations? ?Are you obedient like Joseph in carrying out everything God reveals to you today without argument or justification?”
Word of Hope