December 10, 2024 Devo

December 10th, 2024

“It’s All About Jesus!”
The Birth of Jesus – Mary & Joseph
This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly. – Matthew 1:18-19 (NLT)
“Holy Hurting People”

“Hurting people hurt people.” Have you ever heard that expression? From forty-plus years of dealing with people, I can tell you that it’s true. I’ve seen hurting people give full rein to their pain and take it out on those around them. Including many who were only there to help them.
But do you know when hurting people DON’T hurt people? It’s when they yield their pain to the control of the Holy Spirit. Instead of letting their emotions drive their words and behavior, they seek God to guide their words and behavior.
That’s what Joseph did. Joseph had to be in pain. He just found out his fiancé was pregnant, and HE was not the father. That would crush any man’s heart. In those days engagement was as binding as marriage and could only be ended through a legal divorce. So Joseph had two courses of action he could take. One, he could go ahead and take Mary as his wife. But if he did that, it would appear to others that they had not been chaste, and he was the father of the child. Or two, he could divorce Mary and clear his name. Since most divorces were done publicly, while he would be exonerated, Mary would be humiliated. For many men, that kind of revenge would feel good.
But Joseph allowed God to be in control of his pain. He wasn’t going to compromise his reputation, but he wasn’t going to react in anger and vengeance either. He decided that though he did need to divorce Mary, he would do it privately, in the presence of just a couple of witnesses. He would go his way, and she could go hers.
Now though our story doesn’t end there, I think it’s a good point to camp on. How much does YOUR pain drive you? Are you an “eye for an eye” kind of person, or a “turn the other cheek” kind? Do you allow your pain to spew harsh words and cause ugly reactions, or do you allow the Holy Spirit to temper those emotions? Hurting people often hurt people. Holy hurting people take their pain to God. Which one you are may determine how God can fit you into His plans. Thankfully, Joseph got to stick around for the greatest story ever told. That’s God’s Word for you today.