“But while he thought on these things, behold the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost” (Matthew 1:20).

 What an incredible time of the year! We have the opportunity of celebrating our Lord’s incarnation. As a husband, I have often thought of Joseph in the Christmas story. I respect Joseph. He was a man of compassion. After believing the worst, he was still moved with compassion and was going to put Mary away quietly and privately rather than make her a public example. Then when the angel of the Lord assured him that he should go ahead and take Mary to be his wife, Joseph obeyed! Who would believe such a story? Many would be the accusations. More than just a few folks would whisper behind Joseph and Mary’s back. Yet Joseph quickly obeyed. What a great lesson for us! To obey the Lord and to follow His instructions are the greatest blessings and the greatest opportunities we will ever experience.

 For today: I want to obey the Lord. How about you?