Detecting Christmas December 12 Devotional

Matthew 1:18-19 continued...

Mercy takes moral courage. It is impossible to know Joesph’s feelings exactly. But he must have felt powerful and conflicting emotions. Marriages were agreed by partners but arranged by
families. There would have been years of anticipation and Joseph would have been adding space to his clan compound in anticipation of the marriage day. His plans for a family with Mary and life as a carpenter in Nazareth had been upended. There was some shared shame he would be feeling, a degree of public humiliation, and considerable anger at Mary’s alleged betrayal. In the face of outside pressures and inside emotions his merciful decision to save Mary took considerable courage.

When have you had to do the hard thing which was the right thing?

Gracious God,

Grant us the courage to turn conviction into action, even when our emotions are running strongly. Amen.