Monday, December 19, 2011

LET’S DIG ON JOSEPH’S UPS AND DOWN

MI DAILY DEVOTION
MONDAY
LET’S DIG ON JOSEPH’S UPS AND DOWN
(Luke 2:4) “And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)”

Notice the stages of Joseph’s emotion from the time he was engaged to Mary up to the time where they have to leave Bethlehem. In verse 18- “…When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together…” 1) - Imagine the joy and the excitement of Joseph being engaged to Mary. 2) - And then the gear had shift to something that was new and unknown to Joseph; he was told that Mary “was found with child of the Holy Ghost.” It’s common for men to be informed by their fiancée or ob gyn doctor about the pregnancy of their girlfriend; but to be informed by the angel of the Lord; it would be a different story. Joseph’s big questions of the day could be; “How in the world did she get pregnant?” How did it happen and what do you mean of “she was found with child of the Holy Ghost ... and for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.” 3) – Verse 19- “Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.” You can feel the emotional and mental torture that Joseph was going through in the midst of what God had bid him do. We know that he was doing the will of God, but that does not spare him from the emotional pain and the ridicule of the people. Praise God for those who will play the role of Joseph in a CHRISTmas cantata or CHRISTmas play; but I believe you can play the role of Joseph better if you will think of his actual condition and situation on that day. We just started the roller coaster ride with Joseph as the main driver, but God was the one who control the wheels. (John 1:13) “Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”