Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the LORD means safety. Proverbs 29:25 NLT
Fear of the LORD is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment. Proverbs 9:10 NLT
Even for us, ones who have heard the account of Jesus’ birth over and over, the amazing sacrifice of Joseph and Mary is astounding. The courage and trust it took to willingly walk into the mission God had for them, to say yes willingly, is hard to imagine. In our culture, “unexpected pregnancy” is not looked at with the scorn and judgment it was then, but it is still not easy. Consider their reputations of purity and righteousness that would now be whispered about and tainted. Consider the struggles to maintain their own relationship when Mary had to tell him she was pregnant in a completely implausible way, and Joseph’s consternation when he clearly deeply loved her and wanted to protect her, but how could he marry a woman who surely must have been unfaithful?
Then there were the interruptions to life as they planned it. No easy days of newlyweds getting to know each other. They would start with morning sickness and struggle with misunderstanding. And then you know the story of the birth – away from home, traveling a long distance, no midwife. Giving birth in a stable. Nothing easy about any of it.
Yet they obeyed God and celebrated the tidings of news of great joy and peace for all people in circumstances they would never have initially chosen. Why? Because they believed God.
They believed God because they recognized His voice. They were not new to following. They had long been intimately acquainted with God, the Source of their righteousness. They were more concerned about obeying and pleasing Him than they were about what anyone else had to say. Mary and Joseph knew that if they had His approval, everything else would fall into place eventually. They knew what God’s followers have been discovering over the centuries: “Obedience is my responsibility – outcome is God’s responsibility” (Charles Stanley).
Long before them, wise King Solomon recorded the truth about how our concern about the opinions of other people can interfere with our wisdom and security. He said fearing people is a deadly trap. He said that all true wisdom begins with knowing and obeying God. When we know God intimately and follow His principles, we have courage and good judgment.
Mary and Joseph got it right, and the whole world is forever blessed. If we follow their example, great joy and peace will come to us and our families as well.
- God, help me choose to make Your word matter more than anyone else’s.