The Main Characters of the Christmas StoryNäide

Day 3 | Joseph

How a person responds in a crisis says a lot about their character. Do they react with anger or fear, or do they face the crisis with wisdom and faith?

Joseph faced a significant crisis. Learning that Mary, his fiancée, was pregnant with a child that wasn’t his would have been devastating. By law, he could have demanded her death. Instead, he chose compassion and planned to end their engagement quietly.

But then an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream, explaining what was happening. Joseph was told to take Mary as his wife and name the child Jesus, which means “the LORD saves.”

Joseph could have let anger, fear, or concern for appearances dictate his actions. But instead, he responded in faith and obeyed God’s direction. He chose to trust God’s plan over his own understanding, and because of that, he held Emmanuel, “God with us,” in his arms.

Consider how you respond when life doesn’t go as planned. Ask God to help you trust him, even when the path forward is unclear.