This morning I read, 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.”
When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. (Matthew 1:19-21, 24 NIV)
Joseph was thinking about divorcing Mary privately. Thankfully he listened and realized that God had done an amazing thing? An extraordinary thing! Something not of this world. God planned to send someone not of the world but sent to the world for us. To save us from our sins. Jesus!!!
I wonder how often God is up to something in our community with people and we think about dismissing. “That person could never change, there is no hope for that neighborhood. They are always going to be that way.” Is what we hear. Some people say “that’s just the way we are, we can not change.” I pray that we will all believe with excitement that through The Holy Spirit God is doing extraordinary things with ordinary people in ordinary places in our community. Let’s wake up and do what we are commanded to do. The bible says, to Love God with all of our heart, soul and mind and love our neighbor as our selves. Imagine what our community would look like if we all did this! What if we listened to God like Joseph!
Merry Christmas!
-shane
