Faith for the Journey

The very first part of the narrative told by the gospel writer Matthew tells of a troubled man.  When Joseph went to bed on the night set forth in the story, his world had been turned upside down.  His anticipated marriage to Mary was something which seemed impossible.  She had told him that she was pregnant, not by another man, but by the Spirit of God.  It was not only embarrassing, but unbelievable.  When he went to bed he had resolved himself to end the relationship in a way which would cause him and Mary the least amount of gossip and scandal.      

All these plans went awry as he slept and dreamed.  The Word says, "...an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, 'Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit."   (Matthew 1:20)   At that point he not only had to decide about trusting Mary, but also trusting God, and his own inner heart.  Even then, knowing what to do and doing it was surely a hard thing.    

But, Joseph appears as a man who lived with an attitude of trust in others, in God, and himself.  All three of these voices were lined up in his spirit saying the same thing to him.  It is not always easy to act with in a manner that defies logic.   It is not always easy to let our faith guide us.  What we have learned is that faith is the only guide we have when it comes to following after God.  Sometimes the Word which calls our faith into action is the witness of another, sometimes it is the voice of God, and sometimes it is that sense of rightness which He has implanted within us.