A Good Man

Reading: 1 Samuel 15-16; 1 Chronicles 5; Matthew 1 18 This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. 19 Joseph, her fiancé, was a good man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly. (Matthew 1:18-19 NLT) Joseph was a very good man in a very difficult situation. God was at work on a redemption plan that involved the most intimate and precious thing in Joseph’s life, but Joseph didn’t know that. When Mary got pregnant, Joseph was hurt and confused, but his gentle, noble character overcame his anger and disappointment, and he began looking for a way to keep Mary from disgrace and the child from shame. What a test of character and integrity! Thank God that Joseph passed the test! I can think of three reasons God chose Joseph to be the step-father of God’s own Son:
1) Joseph was a good man who would put the well-being of Mary and her child before his own feelings and reputation.
2) Joseph would be sensitive to God’s voice even under the most severe pressure and testing.
3) Joseph would act in obedient faith once he knew God’s will. Please join me and take a moment to consider these three questions:
• When I am under pressure do I think about others or only about myself?
• Do I think and act with nobility or nastiness?
• Am I an instrument of grace or disgrace? How do I do when something that doesn’t look good for me might actually be God’s plan and purpose?
• Am I just concerned with how I look, how I feel, and who’s right or wrong?
• Am I sensitive to God’s voice even when he’s saying something that’s hard to hear?
• Do I look with eyes of faith past the present challenges to the purpose and promise? Prayer: Father, You really knew what you were doing when you chose Joseph to be the adoptive father of your son Jesus. Even though he didn’t know what was going on, he acted nobly. Please help me to act nobly and be an instrument of grace and peace to others, even when I don’t know what’s going on. Amen.