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.
Night Prayer
Let me not be ashamed, O Lord; for I have called upon thee: let the wicked be ashamed, and let them be silent in the grave.
Inspiration
We humble ourselves before the Lord when we come to Him with earthly burdens. We understand we do not have the power to control or fix our problems alone, so we lay our egos down and align our lives with the will of God. We are proud to be His servants and accept His help throughout our struggles. His love is unconditional, and His wisdom parallels none other.
Prayer
Dear Lord, we humble ourselves before You, seeking Your wisdom and guidance all the days of our lives. Thank You for Your presence and unfailing love. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Devotion
You are a Temple of The Holy Spirit
Frances Taylor
This is a hard saying in today's world. Sexual immorality is so rampant and public that few people believe it to be immoral! People no longer think of sexual behavior outside of marriage as wrong and, in fact, have no problem with going from one person to another quite publicly, broadcasting their behavior on social media and if you're famous enough, on twitter, on TV, in magazines, etc. What happened to "Thou shalt not commit adultery?" I guess I'm old fashioned. I'm not about to condemn anyone who truly loves another and is faithful to them regardless of marriage, but I don't understand and cannot condone random sexual encounters that are not based on love but lust, have no desire for permanency but are literally just to satisfy a sexual itch.
Sorry if I offend anyone, but if we believe that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit to be kept holy, how can we treat them as what – toys, prizes? I'm aware that women have often ...
Morning Prayer
For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.
Inspiration
Think of a grudge that you held on for a long time. Did you feel better from holding this grudge? Now think about this deeper: what if God held a grudge against us? Wow, how blessed we are that he forgives our sins! He leads by example, forgiving those of us that do exactly what he asks us not to do. We all should all be more forgiving, like God is to us.
Prayer
You sent your only son to the world to die so that we may be forgiven, merciful God. Forgive me, once again, for being too selfish and proud to not forgive those that trespass against me. I wish that I can sin less and ask for forgiveness and guidance when I need it. I thank you for sending your son to us, Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. Amen.
