Some things in life can take us completely by surprise. Sometimes things happen that seem to turn our world upside down. That happened to a man named Joseph, a builder living in the town of Nazareth in Galilee about 2,000 years ago.
Engaged to be married to a young woman named Mary, he was looking forward to when they would become husband and wife, have children, and make a home together, surrounded by their extended family.
But then Joseph learned that Mary, his future wife, was expecting a child. To Joseph, that meant that Mary had been unfaithful. To keep her from being publicly disgraced, he intended to “divorce her quietly” and then send her away.
But that same night, an angel came to Joseph in a dream, telling him that the child to be born was conceived by the Holy Spirit. The angel told Joseph to believe in the unbelievable and to take Mary as his wife. God himself stepped into his life and disrupted many of Joseph’s plans. His life would never be the same. But when Joseph woke up, he did what the angel commanded him.
As we will discover this week, perhaps God has disrupted your life. Perhaps he turned your life upside down. Perhaps you are struggling to find hope in the midst of fear. The prayer for us is that we will be ready to accept God’s will for your life. That we will be ready to surrender to him and serve him. And that God will give us the courage to overcome our doubts and our fears. May trusting in God give us hope to face the future, even in the midst of our fears.
Engaged to be married to a young woman named Mary, he was looking forward to when they would become husband and wife, have children, and make a home together, surrounded by their extended family.
But then Joseph learned that Mary, his future wife, was expecting a child. To Joseph, that meant that Mary had been unfaithful. To keep her from being publicly disgraced, he intended to “divorce her quietly” and then send her away.
But that same night, an angel came to Joseph in a dream, telling him that the child to be born was conceived by the Holy Spirit. The angel told Joseph to believe in the unbelievable and to take Mary as his wife. God himself stepped into his life and disrupted many of Joseph’s plans. His life would never be the same. But when Joseph woke up, he did what the angel commanded him.
As we will discover this week, perhaps God has disrupted your life. Perhaps he turned your life upside down. Perhaps you are struggling to find hope in the midst of fear. The prayer for us is that we will be ready to accept God’s will for your life. That we will be ready to surrender to him and serve him. And that God will give us the courage to overcome our doubts and our fears. May trusting in God give us hope to face the future, even in the midst of our fears.
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