“‘The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’ – which means, ‘God with us.'”
Matthew 1:23
I hated school when other kids created trouble. Do you remember the feeling? You’d be falsely accused of calling someone a name. Or other kids wrote nasty notes about your hair or clothes. Or the bully towered over you, ready to punch your lights out. For those moments, the world might as well have ended. You couldn’t imagine how life could go on.
I imagine that Joseph felt like that when he heard of Mary’s pregnancy. His engagement was not going according to classroom rules. People started talking. Whispering. Giggling. Sneering. And who knows, perhaps Mary had an older brother who would have beaten the life out of Joseph.
But notice what the angel tells Joseph: “‘The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’ – which means, ‘God with us'” (Matthew 1:23).
God with us. What wonderful words Joseph heard. It made all the difference.
Remember those tough days at school? What a relief it was when the teacher showed up at just the right moment to make things right. To stop the talking. To halt the fight. The teacher was in the room and all was well. Whew! So, too, God would be with Joseph and Mary.
But that’s not all, I imagine. God was not only going to be there, He would be on their side. Just like the teacher who says, “I’m with you son. The rest of you, run along.”
God’s promise must have emboldened Joseph because the next day he took the less-traveled road and married Mary. Such was his confidence in God’s presence and God’s defense.
Lord, life has not presented itself in a pretty package each day. But I know that You are with me. And I know that You are on my side. How can I fail? Give me courage to take roads less traveled, because You are mine and You are there.
