STARTING WITH TRUST

When the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and then to shepherds with good news for the world (LUKE 1:26-27; 2:10), was it good news to this teenage girl? Perhaps Mary was thinking: How do I explain my pregnancy to my family?

Will my fiancé Joseph call off the wedding? What will everyone else say? How will I survive as a young single mum?

When Joseph learned about Mary’s pregnancy, he was really upset. He had three options. 1) Go ahead with the marriage. 2) Divorce her publicly and allow her to be publicly shamed. Or 3) break off the engagement quietly. Joseph chose option three, but God stepped in. He told Joseph in a dream, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is
conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit” (MATTHEW 1:20).

For Mary and Joseph, their journey began with trusting God with everything, despite the unthinkable challenges before them. They entrusted themselves to God and, in doing so, lived out the promise of 1 John 2:5: “If anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them.” May God’s love give us the strength and confidence we need to live out our journeys with Him in the same way: through trusting everything He has said in the Bible.

To pray about . . .

Father, when things are hard, help me to copy Joseph and trust what You say.
You are with me and bigger than all of the challenges I will ever face.

WE’LL FOLLOW GOD MORE READILY WHEN WE ENTRUST OURSELVES COMPLETELY TO HIM.

YouTh Edition – Our Daily Bread Ministries