Devotion
Do not be afraid! The Lord is with you
David Jacobs
There are few cases of faith as impressive as with Joseph. In the church, Mary receives far more attention than Joseph, but I believe that his faith was tested in a very similar way. Many men are insecure about the idea of an unfaithful partner. Faced with a pregnant wife that he knows he did not have sex with, Joseph is met with a serious dilemma: does he trust her or does he do what many would do and believe that she was unfaithful? His faith was so strong that he was able to remain steadfast, patient with his love for Mary and for God. As the title of this devotional suggests, God was with him all along, reassuring him when he most needed it.
In the verse directly preceding these verses, Joseph plans to send Mary away secretly so that she would not be disgraced. We can assume that this was a difficult decision for Joseph: he was choosing to send away the woman that he wanted to marry. He had been faithful to her and she now told him that she was pregnant. He must have felt alone and still wanted to treat her with respect even though he thought that she might not have reciprocated this. God came to him, reassured him, rewarding him for his faith. By rewarding Joseph and Mary, God rewarded us all. They were never alone, and neither are we.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, Father to me and to Joseph, Father to Mary and to Jesus, I thank you for caring about us. Abba Father, I have doubted you and been wary of others when I could have been faithful. I ask that you clear my doubts and let there be no question of your power and presence. Help me to see that you surely rule with love and truth over all of eternity in Heaven. Amen.
Devotion
Abraham is Father of All
Frances Taylor
There are questions in every age about the importance of the Old Testament for Christians. Abraham is considered to be the Father of Faith for Jews, Christians and Muslims. We forget that it was Abraham who believed in the doctrine of only one God. It is through him and his descendants that this tradition comes down to us. Another fact that we can overlook is that Jesus was Jewish. He was born a Jew, lived as a Jew, died, rose and ascended into heaven as a Jew. Because we believe that he was the Messiah, the Christ, and we follow him, we are called Christian. Without the Old Testament, we wouldn't understand the promise of salvation; we wouldn't understand why it was important for Jesus to be of the family of King David. We would not understand his teaching either, because Jesus quoted from Scripture – the Old Testament – frequently. He told us that he came to fulfill the Scriptures, not to abolish them. In the same way, we can ...
Morning Prayer
Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
Inspiration
We have a responsibility, as Christians, to abstain from the sinful practices we partook in before we became saved. While it may be a gradual process of change, we should ensure that we are putting in our best to play our part in resisting temptation. God enables us to resist temptation, but it is up to us to actually resist.
Prayer
Dear God, I pray that I will always be a person of action. Father, I take delight in my new life in you and I do not desire otherwise. I pray that in times of temptation, may I act on the strength you have given me to flee and/or resist. May I never rely on excuses or procrastination, Lord. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
Night Prayer
Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away.
Inspiration
We have chosen to surrender our lives and serve the Lord. We serve Him by witnessing, completing missionary projects, and ministering to those in need. There is always work to do and a world full of people to help. We will look for opportunities to provide for our brothers and sisters in Christ by any means necessary. We are servants to one another as a service to the Lord; He will never forsake us.
Prayer
Dear God, Help us see the world through Your eyes. We desire to serve those around us by reflecting Your love through our actions. You will never forsake us, and we will continually lift praises of thanksgiving to You. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
