“When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.”

by: Lisa Grimes

After God redirected Joseph’s steps concerning his plans with Mary, I wonder if Joseph may have been tempted to believe that God didn’t have his best interests in mind.

God had given him an out-of-the-box new direction: “Take Mary home to be your wife…”

But what would his family think? What would his friends think? What would this mean for his family’s reputation or his for that matter?

After studying for this devotion series, Mary and Joseph have become my new heroes. To them, it didn’t matter what others thought. They didn’t weigh obedience to God based upon the opinions of others, their circumstances or their feelings. They radically embraced all that God wanted to give them by responding “Yes” to His every direction.

How does this relate to us today?

Often what God tells us to do, may not make sense to other people ─ this includes family and friends. Sometimes they may think we’re a bit too radical. Can you hear them now, “She’s taken this whole Jesus thing just a bit too far…”

Yet, if we truly believe that God loves us, that He has our best interests at heart, and that He has good planned for us, then we must wholeheartedly follow His directives in our life.

This could mean:

• Breaking from normal family traditions at Christmas to include Jesus in your festivities. One way would be having the true Christmas story read from Scripture during your gatherings.
• Sharing what He’s done in your life over the last year.
• Doing what He’s placed on your heart to do, even if it requires exiting your comfort zone.

If we truly want to embrace all that God wants to give us, we will have to overcome the fear of living a life that may look different from the people around us. We can’t always look for approval, confidence and peace…We have to look to Him.

Are You still shopping for last minute gifts?

Gift them a life-changing experience!

An annual conference, hosted by Knowing God Ministries, to encourage and remind that ONE WOMAN (plus Jesus!) can make a BIG difference in her corner of the world.

From high school to retirement, an event to inspire all ages!

Made for More

March 4, 2023

Hope Community Church | Apex. NC

Kick off the new year with friends at our January Luncheon!

Seize the Day!
Living Your Purpose

Speaker: Debbie Wilson

Wednesday, January 18, 2023