Day 10: The Faith of Joseph and Mary
Scripture to meditate on: Matthew 1:18-25 Joseph’s Obedient Faith
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. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
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.”
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).
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.
Devotional:
Reading this scriptural text had me reflect on my walk with the Lord and how, despite the knowledge of His Word, His promises, His never failing Love and His continual faithfulness, I still find myself afraid of what may or may not happen. External circumstances, situations we are going through and what people have to say about our Faith in God (especially if it appears not to be working for us) can get us afraid or anxious. Once we give in to this anxiety, we lose the peace of God when our mind wanders from God and His promises and this can potentially hinder our ability to hear from God.
The angel said, “do not be afraid…” this was going to be important for Joseph’s Faith going forward considering the challenges or difficulties that were to follow. Choosing Faith over Fear is not natural but God will always help us to supernaturally overcome 2 Timothy 1:7.
Philippians 4:6-7 NLT Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
Isaiah 26:3 NLT You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!
Is. 41:10 NIV So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Fear or being afraid of what man may say or do to us will happen to us all. But God’s Word teaches us not to let it have its way. We can rightly be concerned but not allow fear to control us, this can be the beginning of a knock-on effect and lead us to place of confusion/discouragement. We should trust God irrespective Prov. 29:25 NLT Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the Lord means safety.
Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Allowing God to be your guide begins with a commitment to trust. God cannot lead you where you will not follow.
As we get into the season of celebrating Jesus’ birth, let us be reminded to ignore the many loud voices around filled with negative reports and fear mongering. The economy, political divisiveness, moral attacks on our children and eventual loss of values, atheism, selfishness and individualism… Let us tune in and tune our ears to the Word of the Lord…saying DO NOT FEAR…I will help you no matter what.
Questions to ponder:
- What does this passage say about God?
- What does this passage say about me or my relationships?
- What should I do in light of this passage?
