Today's Verse: Matthew 1:20

Thursday, December 1, 1949

But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
Now you can listen to Today's Verse on iTunes, Spotify, Echo devices, and more!

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

Reassurance beyond understanding!
That's the beginning of the Christ story for Joseph: like with Mary and the angel at the annunciation, God's reassurance of things beyond human understanding was what Joseph received in this glorious visitation! What he could not understand and what he had no part in creating will now be the groundbreaking journey of his own faithful and generous heart. He was to be the human daddy to the Savior of the world and the Messiah of Israel. He would live the rest of his life knowing that a miracle happened with Mary without his input or involvement. As a righteous and kind man, he would bear the disgrace of the world's misunderstanding about the conception of their child. His faith and God's use of him in this story should awaken each of us to the incredible possibilities that God may have in store for us. Why not use this December to re-awaken your heart to the Holy One, born Jesus of Nazareth, and let's ask God to bless us through Jesus with reassurance beyond our human understanding!

My Prayer...

Father, I have long admired Joseph for his trust in you - a trust that helped him deal with what he could not understand. Now I come, with wild-eyed Joseph-like excitement and bewilderment, to be reminded again of the miracle of your Son and my Savior. Please make him real to me as I seek to know him better and bless me with reassurance beyond my limited human understanding! In Jesus' name and because of his miraculous conception and incarnation, I pray this. Amen.

Have thoughts on this devotional? Leave a comment

19 Related Resources by Heartlight

Illustration

Illustration of Matthew 1:20 — But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.

Other Devotionals from Heartlight for Thursday, December 1, 1949

A daily passage of Scripture emphasizing praise to our God.
"You are a God of forgiveness, gracious and merciful, slow to become angry, and rich in unfailing love. You did not abandon them..."
A devotional to help reclaim Jesus as the daily Lord of our lives.
"Dear Believer, When Paul wrote to the Colossians, he was imprisoned and facing hardship because of his work for the gospel (Colossians 1:24-29;..."
A daily guide from the gospels that challenges readers to live for Jesus.
"[Jesus continued,] "If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you..."
A daily dose of Christian quotes to inspire and encourage.
"God sees with utter clarity who we are. He is undeceived as to our warts and wickedness. But when God looks at us that is not all He sees. He also sees who we....."

About This Devotional

Today's Verse is a free daily devotional that includes a Bible verse, thought and prayer.

The Thoughts and Prayer on Today's Verse are written by Phil Ware.

All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.