Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to
expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly…
Matthew 1:19 (NIV)
Joseph was on cloud nine. Mary, that sweet, beautiful girl he’d fallen in love with would soon be his wife. Each morning he rushed to his workshop, cutting, sanding, nailing, and assembling the furniture he carefully fashioned with his own hands. Wouldn’t Mary be surprised when she saw everything he had built for their new home?
Yet, in a twist of divine about-face, the surprise was on him. The woman he had loved so tenderly revealed she was pregnant. Not only had she betrayed him, she had the gall to profess this child in her womb had been conceived by the Holy Spirit. Uh, huh. Likely story!
Feelings of confusion, shame, betrayal, and deep grief vied with a protectiveness that longed to save her from public disgrace. The love he had shown Mary had just been dishonored and tarnished – so it appeared.
As Joseph grieved the loss of his hopes and dreams, God showed up. An angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, confirming that the child within Mary was, indeed, conceived by the Holy Spirit. Then Matthew adds, “All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet: Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’”
Where was God in Joseph’s darkest hour? Right where He needed to be – in the midst of it – fulfilling His marvelous plan for man’s salvation. In Joseph’s darkest moments, God was nearer to him than ever before.
Are you enduring a time of trials and difficulties? Does life appear to be falling apart? Have shattered hopes and dreams left you wondering where God is? He is right where you’d least expect it. He is in the midst of it.
Thought: “The ultimate test of faith is not how loudly you praise God in happy times but how deeply you trust him in dark times.” – Rick Warren
For further reading:
- Jeremiah 29:11
- Genesis 50:20
- Esther 4:14
- Acts 16:6-10