Photo and Commentary ©2023 by Darren Milam
Wednesday, September 6, 2023
In our Sabbath School class, we recently were reading about Joseph and the part he had in the raising of Jesus. I am sure all of you know the story, but in our study we were reminded of how quick Joseph was to have faith and follow God’s plan. It may sound like an easy thing to, do but given the circumstances of what he was facing – a pregnant fiancée – it wasn’t the easiest decision. Hearing from Gabriel, God’s messenger, helped the situation somewhat, but Joseph still had to believe it all to be true and have the faith to follow the delivered plan. Scripture tells us that the message came to Joseph during the night and the next morning, when he woke up, he followed the plan. That’s a quick decision. It doesn’t say that when he woke up, he contemplated for a few days, or even an hour or two. No, when he woke up – he followed the plan.
Do you have that much faith? I would like to believe I do, but if I am being honest, I believe I would have had to think that one through for a while. I hope I would have ended up with the same decision that Joseph came to, but it would have taken me a bit longer. Clearly, that shows Joseph’s level of trust and faith in his God. He didn’t hesitate at all. He heard the message and followed the instructions.
Throughout scripture we read all sorts of accounts of faith. Hebrews chapter 11 is filled with stories of faith, from Noah having the faith he needed to protect his family and preach of the coming flood, to the walls of Jericho falling due to faith. From Abraham being tested by God to potentially sacrifice his son Isaac, to Rahab hiding the spies to protect them. Story after story of examples we can draw from, regarding having instant faith in our Creator.
Hebrews 11:1: Now faith is the confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
Joseph certainly couldn’t see exactly how his fiancé was with child via the Holy Spirit. He was not able to see all the challenges he would face by saying “yes” to God’s plan. He was not able to see the blessings of raising the son of God. There were multiple things Joseph did not see, but still had the faith to move forward. In fact, that’s exactly the action of faith – having the confidence in something we’re not able to see, yet believing in it, nonetheless.
I pray I have half the faith Joseph had. I also pray that my faith continues to grow. Feel free to pray for that same growth in your life as well.
Image is from the Wallace Falls area, specifically, the river that flows over the falls. It reminded me of a “calm” spot. A spot where we all should be, when we have true, full, and instant faith in our God.