Stress Test Devotional May 18
May 18, 2024
MATTHEW 1:18 | Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.
Joseph had a plan, a calling. He wanted to commit his life to Mary, to be her husband, and to raise a family. It was a simple plan, but one that would command his time and energies and give a central focus to his life. It has almost certainly been a family decision and would require his clan to build an addition to their home in Nazareth. It would mean hard work in the carpentry business to support future children. It would join their two families together in a new connected family, bringing in-laws and a new set of relatives. Joseph, as we learn later in this story, was a righteous man, and so it is likely that this plan arose not just from his own dreams and desires, but from searching prayers and a sense of God’s will.
How has your life been shaped by simple plans?
Have you had a sense of God’s confirmation for these hopes?
How did this sense arise?
