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.