December 23 – Luke 2:1-7; Matthew 1:18-25
Jesus, our Savior King, we praise You for You are Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace!!!! We thank You for You secure our peace! We fall before You in worship and adoration. Draw near to us, Lord of all.
This portion of Matthew intrigues me. God could have chosen to go to Joesph first with news of His plans. He could have even left him in the dark. But He did neither. He first went to Mary, the one with whom He found favor, the one whom this would directly and immediately affect – her entire life as she knew it altered. This birth, of course, brings great honor and joy, but it would also have cultural implications. And then God went to Joseph to comfort and reassure him that all was within His divine plan. This helps show us that His plan was not rushed or
hastily put together; it did not exclude. It was thought out and deliberate.
Joseph is described in verse 19 as ‘a just man’. Meaning he was righteous and a follower of God. And God shows up in a big way in that while Joseph was considering mercifully divorcing Mary, God sent His messenger to him. He told Joseph that Mary was in God’s will and that God
will take care of her. Take hold of that bit of truth there, God knows your thoughts, He knows your mind and your heart, He knows you. When we walk closely with Him, we have complete trust, just as Joseph did. Joseph obeyed God. He gave God full control. And that surrender, it brings joy!
Joy is not just for Christmas time. It is not for a season; it is for a lifetime. For every day. For every moment. When the magnitude of what was done on Christmas Day hits us, we have no choice but to be filled with a never fleeting joy! Our Father has kept His promises. Our Jesus has paid our ransom. The Judged has pardoned us!
“How great our joy! Great our joy!
Joy, joy, joy! Joy, joy, joy!
Praise we the Lord in heav’n on high!
Praise we the Lord in heav’n on high!”
How Great Our Joy
My Verse: “And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.” Luke 2:7
My Response: God, You alone know me. You alone knit me together and breathed life into me. In You alone I surrender it all. May the joy in my heart never dull as I remember all that You have done for Your children.
Further Reading: Micah 5:1-6; 1 Samuel 16; Deuteronomy 22:13-30
What’s next?
As the Spirit leads, share what He has laid on your heart in the comment section below. Then join us again tomorrow for the next commentary.
1 Comment. Leave new
Sharon’s Morning Thoughts: I love reading the Christmas story this time of year, imagining once again the harshness of the journey to Bethlehem and the unbelievably primitive circumstances of Christ’s birth. Seeing the faithful lives of Joseph and Mary does bring joy and awe and gladness. They weren’t “mighty” people, but their choices sure were and had lasting influence eternally. ❤
My verse: Luke 2:5 “He took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child.”
❤ My response: Lord, there are so many details left out that I’d love to know here. I love that Joseph obeyed instantly and took Mary as his wife (Matthew 1:24). Yet Luke refers to them as engaged. Was there ever a formal ceremony for these two who were so obedient to Your call? Or was the engagement so binding in their culture that the marriage could just begin when Joseph took over responsibility for Mary as they left for Bethlehem together? I love that he cared so much for her that he wanted to protect her and the baby at birth, even if that meant taking a 9 month’s pregnant woman on an arduous journey via walking or donkey riding. SO uncomfortable either way!! These two did NOT have it easy. Being “favored” by You doesn’t mean comfort always. Their obedience was costly. Thank You for their wonderful example of what it truly means to “trust and obey”!!