Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”
Matthew 1:19 - 21
Every marriage faces challenges: even the one that Jesus' parents had. Mary and Joseph were on track to get married, and then Mary gets pregnant...and it's not Joseph's baby (technically, they weren't married, but they were "espoused" which was binding and could only be severed by death or divorce). The baby's father was the Holy Spirit. Can you imagine trying to explain that to Joseph?Mary had a choice: 1) try to convince Joseph of what the angel told her 2) trust God.
Mary chose to trust God to show Joseph just like He sent the angel to show her. Instead of adding fuel to an already burning fire, Mary took a step back and trusted that the God who gave her a promise would also work in Joseph's heart. And you know what? God did! They faced the challenged and overcame it!
So, since every marriage will face challenges I choose to accept them. I choose to accept the challenges knowing that just like God chose Mary for Joseph He chose me for John (and you for your spouse).
Challenge accepted! God has equipped me to withstand the fiery darts and trials. He has equipped us to go through fire and come out not even smelling like smoke!
Challenge accepted! God has united John and I together and I know that united we can face anything!
Challenge accepted! With God on our side how can we fail? We can't!
Challenge accepted!
I'm not telling you to accept less than God's best. I'm not telling you to accept behaviors, attitudes, and treatment that God didn't intend. I'm telling you to accept the challenge to live this married life with fidelity, integrity, and genuine love and defeat every enemy that you face.
Your marriage will face challenges. It just will, but you must choose to stand in faith and believe that God will protect you, cover you, and fight for you. Accept the challenge today! If Jesus' parents can do it so can you.
Have a wonderful Christmas!
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