Jesus (As Was Supposed) the Son of Joseph

Advent Day 2

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Matthew 1:18

            Our expectations for Christmas are high. We plan long in advance to make the day perfect. We anticipate the joy on the faces of those we love as we prepare. With such high expectations, Christmas has the potential not to go as planned. Even now, someone might dread the holidays because a loved one will not be there, finances may not be enough, or someone in the family is ill.

            Joseph’s life surely did not go as planned this very first Christmas. His reputation was tattered as he took up the mantle of the husband of an already expecting wife. Yet, God was accomplishing something far greater in this trial than Joseph knew at the time. Joseph said yes to the unexplainable plan to care for a child conceived by the Holy Ghost. It was not at all what Joseph planned, yet his obedience through such fearful circumstances wove his story into eternity’s tapestry.

            Though our Christmas may not go as planned, God is still at work in the everyday lives of His people. He knows how to weave the dark threads into His story in just the right places, turning the shaded parts golden with just a turn of His hand. We can trust the Master Artist with the thread, for He knows how to make all things beautiful in His time.