Bible Passage: “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.” (Matthew 1:19 NIV)
Scripture Reading: Matthew 1:18-25
Have you ever been one decision away from living a different life? A time when saying “Yes” or “No” had very different outcomes?
In the Gospels of Luke and Matthew, we find the Nativity story. Jesus is born, and, even though it’s not written, I can just imagine Joseph holding Him and thinking back to how he was one choice away from not being there.
Back in Matthew 1:18-25, we read that Joseph was engaged to Mary, but she told him what seemed to be an unlikely story: that she was pregnant through the Holy Spirit.
Personally, I can’t blame Joseph for the doubts he had. We get the privilege of reading the story with the end in mind. He didn’t. He had no idea that she was telling the truth, and the truth seemed impossible to believe.
So, because he was a man who feared God, he didn’t want anything to do with what looked like an adulterous situation and wanted to leave her. But because he was also a man of character, he didn’t want to expose Mary to potential condemnation. It must have been an intense game of mental chess.
Ultimately, he makes his choice to divorce her quietly. A choice that would have freed him from the accusations and reputation that would follow Mary’s story.
But God needed him to say “Yes” when he wanted to say “No.”
Men, as we think about the Nativity, we need to spend time in Joseph’s story. What would we have done had it been us?
Would we choose to follow our plan and say “No,” or would we have been willing to listen to God’s call and say “Yes” to whatever He was asking us to do, no matter how unbelievable it seemed?
Do we trust that God has a plan for us? Do we trust that He sees the beginning and the end?
We can’t imagine the Nativity without Joseph. But that only happened because he heard God’s call and said, “Yes.”
We, too, need to be willing to hear God’s call, say “Yes,” and see what He will do with the rest of the story.
Prayer: Jesus, thank You that You see all things from the beginning to the end. Help me to trust You in what You call me to, and to say “Yes,” even when I want to say “No.” Amen.
Reflection: Think about a time where God led you to the decision you made and how He shaped your life through it. Thank Him for His guidance at that time!
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