Betrayal

As the holidays wind down I want to hit the Christmas story from a little different angle. Mother and Child seem to take center stage and rightfully so, the angels and shepherds and wise men all have there time in the spotlight but what about dear old dad?

"This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly." - Matthew 1:18-19

Can you imagine for a moment the sheer sense of betrayal that Joseph felt in that moment? He must have been completely overwhelmed! A man who had determined in his heart to get it right and honor God by waiting to have sex until marriage. What good did that do him? How would any self respecting man feel when his (soon too be) wife shows up pregnant and he KNOWS that he isn't the father? Crushed, furious, ashamed, homicidal, suicidal...?

The first thing I want to point out is that Joseph didn't REACT to the situation. 

"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. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” - Matthew 1:20-21

Reacting in the heat of the moment rarely if ever works out well. Take a breath, take a moment and take it before the Lord. 

"He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin." - Proverbs 13:3

God may have a completely different perspective than you do and regardless of what you are facing he has a plan and a purpose.

"All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”—which means, “God with us.” When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus." - Matthew 1:22-25

Joseph chose to RESPOND and found himself in one of the leading roles of the greatest story in human history. We have all been betrayed, or thought we have been. Either way it hurts. There is no getting around it. The question is will we allow God to write the story of our lives or will we go off script? Will we allow betrayal to define us or drive us deeper into God and forward in his plans for our lives?