Happy Monday! Thank you for joining me. Today we will begin reading through the first book of the New Testament – Matthew. Chapter 1 verses 1-17 are not captured in this devotion, however verses 1-17 includes Jesus’ lineage through His earthly/legal father Joseph. If you have time to read and review the lineage you will learn about Jesus’ earthly family. Enjoy your day and today’s devotion.

Bible Verses Matthew 1:18-25 NLT
“¹⁸ This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹ Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly.

²⁰ As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. ²¹ And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
²² All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet:

²³“Look! The virgin will conceive a child!
She will give birth to a son,
and they will call him Immanuel,
which means ‘God is with us.’”

²⁴ When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife. ²⁵ But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus.” (For more details surrounding Jesus’ birth read Luke 2:1-7).

REFLECTION

Joseph’s character was described as:

• a righteous man

• a man that considered his options thoughtfully

• a man who listened and was obedient

Sisters and brothers, each day we are given a choice to follow the leading of God/Holy Spirit and to be a woman or man of godly character. While our decisions maybe difficult, the goal is to always align our will with the will of the Father. Lord, help us to be obedient to Your leading, follow Your instructions and will for our lives.

Questions to ponder:

• Can you imagine what your response might have been, if you had a similar choice to make?
• What has God put on your heart to do?
• Will you take steps in obedience to God?

PRAYER
Father God, thank you for the love that you continue to give us. Thank you for sending your son Jesus to save us. Lord, you made a way for us even when we didn’t deserve it. Lord, teach us as we read through the book of Matthew and reveal to us all that you desire for us to know. Prepare our hearts to receive your word and allow it to overflow in our lives. Lord give us courage to be obedient and follow you. Lord, change us. Lord, continue to be with families as they grieve. Be with those who were/are impacted by Hurricane Ida, the earthquake in Haiti, the fires in California, and those in the Middle East. In Jesus name, Amen.

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SAVE THE DATE

Next Virtual Women’s Retreat – Saturday, November 13, 2021 from 9:00 a.m. -12:00 p.m. Our theme for the event is: Choose Joy.

Please email us if you are interested in volunteering for this virtual retreat.

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Join us for our next:

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