Happy Friday! I hope you’ve enjoyed the week so far, digging into the word and focusing on being the light. If you would like to catch up, head to the home page, and start from Day 1. These readings and challenges have been so much fun this week. May you blessed by this one, too.
DAY 5 READING
Today, we’re working backwards and heading back to the very beginning of the book of Matthew. The chapter starts out with a long genealogy, listing a number of names, names with stories just as crazy as some of ours. All those names and stories necessary to get to Jesus. If you look at that first section in the chapter in the New International Version, you can really see a breakdown of who was who. It ends with Joseph, the husband to Mary, the mother of Jesus.
Then the chapter goes into Joseph’s story, “Joseph Accepts Jesus as His Son,” and how the birth of Jesus came about. We find out that Mary was pledged to marry Joseph, but before they came together, Joseph found out she was pregnant. Little did he know, she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit, fulfilling prophecy. Could you imagine what was going through his mind about his bride? Because he was a good man, he had thought to divorce her quietly without exposing her to public disgrace.
Before he could do that, he had a dream. In his dream, an angel from the Lord came to him to give him a message. Joseph listened with his whole heart and truly received the message, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and YOU shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1: 21)
“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’).” Matthew 1: 22-23
When he woke up, he did what was asked of him. He married Mary, and when the baby was born, Joseph named him Jesus, which means the Lord saves.
Had Joseph not listened and not had faith in the Lord, things might have turned out so differently. If he didn’t listen to what God was telling him to do, what might have happened? Sometimes I think when we find ourselves in a sticky, uncomfortable situation, we just want to run. But what is God telling us? What is He asking of us in that situation?
During times like these, ask for God’s guidance and truly listen to what He is asking of you. The scripture is full of totally unfiltered stories and people, just like us, giving glory to no one but GOD.
DAY 5 CHALLENGE
Sometimes I feel like my friends are angels from the Lord. They’re so special to me, and sometimes after conversations with them, I’m in awe of the message I receive. Because God.
Today, catch up with an old friend, but today, listen more than you speak. What message does God have waiting for you today?
Be blessed, friends!
