Joseph knew WHO he was because he knew WHOSE he was. What we know about Joseph, namely his marriage to Mary and his raising Jesus, are both given to him by God. However, God’s first words to Joseph through the angel remind him of his identity. “Joseph, SON of David, do not fear…” (Matthew 1:20)
There is a difference between trusting WHAT a person tells us and trusting the PERSON who does the telling. Joseph trusted God, and that was enough for him to follow His plans. When Joseph awoke from his dream, he did not hesitate to do as the angel commanded (Matthew 1:24). Just as Mary did not
What is FREEDOM? True Freedom is living in God’s presence without fear of “what if God finds out?” Joseph wasn’t afraid to let God know he felt unworthy to be Mary’s husband. He felt unworthy because he was. But God, in a sense, said, “Do not be afraid – I am worthy, and I will
I just love this time of year! But I must confess, even though it falls at the same time each year, I always feel so rushed in preparing for it. You would think something that comes the same time every year would eventually become something that doesn’t surprise us in its coming. Right? Yet, I
“God, God, benevolent God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in kindness and truth; He preserves kindness for two thousand generations, forgiving iniquity, transgression and sin, and He cleanses.” (Words of the Amidah according to Exodus 34:6-7) On this Yom Kippur, May you always be reminded it is the Compassion of God which
