Ever have moments of insomnia at night caused by stress you’re facing? While you’re laying in bed, you overplay every scenario you could possibly think of happening in your head?
Ever have to walk into a situation where your level of anxiety is super high and you wish like anything you could just avoid it altogether?
Ever been so exhausted from all the thoughts you’re carrying alone with nowhere to turn to talk about them?
As I was reading Matthew 1:18-25 last week, I couldn’t help but think in all of those moments, it’s possible you’re depending a little too much on YOU and not trusting the words God has given you to take all of these problems away so that you can fulfill the purpose He designed you to fulfill.
**** Matthew 1:18-19 ****
This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 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.
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In the first part of the story, Joseph learns Mary is pregnant, and he decides to end their engagement. Cultural norms allowed a man to leave if his wife had been unfaithful, and Joseph felt that was the best plan.
Nothing says unconditional love like, “You made a mistake, and I don’t love you enough to see you through it.”
No doubt Mary tried to explain to her husband the story of the angel visiting. She tried to explain God’s plan and purpose.
**** Luke 1:26-31 ****
Six months after Elizabeth had become pregnant, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a city in Galilee. The angel went to a virgin promised in marriage to a descendant of David named Joseph. The virgin’s name was Mary. When the angel entered her home, he greeted her and said, “You are favored by the Lord! The Lord is with you.” She was startled by what the angel said and tried to figure out what this greeting meant. The angel told her, “Don’t be afraid, Mary. You have found favor with God. You will become pregnant, give birth to a son, and name him Jesus.”
34-35
Mary asked the angel, “How can this be? I’m a virgin.” The angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come to you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the holy child developing inside you will be called the Son of God.
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But despite the amazing story Mary shared about how they’d been chosen by God to fulfill the prophecy Isaiah had shared 700 years earlier, Joseph decided the best plan he could make was to leave her.
Who could blame him? How often do we see people doubting the validity of Mary’s story today?
And how often do we see marriages or relationships fall apart because we have conditions on our love for when we will stay with the other person and when it’s okay to go?
How often do we let the pride of what others might think about us or our circumstances impact the choices we make?
Surely Joseph worried how he would explain Mary’s condition to those around him. Surely he wondered what they would think when they found out he wasn’t the father of the baby. Surely he doubted the truth of her story. And ultimately, he decided the best course of action he could take was to quietly divorce her.
One of my favorite takeaways from our ReEngage class came in the form of a question written by author Gary Thomas, “What if God designed marriage to make us HOLY more than to make us HAPPY?”
God shows us unconditional love. God shows us true grace and forgiveness, no matter how many times we screw up every single day. All we have to do is ask for forgiveness. Imagine how much stronger our relationships would all be if we loved the other person with the same unconditional love God has for us.
God also gave us a partner. Your partner is a gift from God. God had a plan when he formed the partnership that you would grow in oneness. But like Joseph, often we decide our plan is better than God’s plan.
**** Matthew 1:20-21 ****
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.
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Wouldn’t it be great if every time we had a disagreement with our spouse, an angel appeared and told us not to worry and justified or gave validity to a story?
While we may not see an angel, God does give us great guidance in the Bible for all of the problems we face and all of the situations we find ourselves in.
In Matthew 1:20 the Angel tells Joseph, “Do not be afraid”.
On the surface, it seems obvious the angel doesn’t want Joseph to fear seeing the angel. But what else could it mean?
- Don’t fear what others think
- Don’t fear the law
- Don’t fear shame
- Don’t fear others not believing your story
Some version of the words, “do not be afraid” appear around 150 times in the Bible. If you add in versions of “trust in the Lord”, the number jumps to around 365 times.
Yet we all live in fear. Fear rooted in pride, self-interest, and sense of lack. Fear is sometimes a very conscious decision and reaction and sometimes we are unaware it’s the cause of our choices. But there it is.
**** Matthew 1:24 ****
When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.
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When Joseph realized Mary’s pregnancy was truly part of the Lord’s plan, he immediately obeyed the commandment and married Mary.
He didn’t question the angel. He didn’t continue to debate the words that had been spoken. He trusted the messenger of the Lord.
How often do we live our lives like Joseph did before the angel came?
How often do we lay awake in bed at night worrying about something instead of praying to God and picking up the Bible for guidance?
How often do we walk into a situation where our level of anxiety is super high and we wish we didn’t have to be there, completely ungrateful for the opportunity God has placed in front of us to live out our purpose?
How often are we so exhausted from all the thoughts we are carrying alone because we haven’t asked God to help us manage the heavy load?
How often do we disobey God and allow our fear to overcome us and lead our lives?
**** Isaiah 14:10 ****
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
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If Joseph and Mary hadn’t trusted in God’s plan, imagine how much different our lives would be today.
What are you not trusting in your life to allow you to fully live out the plan God has designed for you? Now ask, “How would the world be different if I just turned to God, cast away my fears, and lived out my purpose?”
