DECEMBER 9, 2020
“Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.” – Matthew 1:20b
“Do not be afraid…” The Bible repeatedly tells its characters to not fear. Yet, so many of us are gripped with near constant fear. Joseph, Jesus’ adoptive father, was likely terrified of his calling. Why wouldn’t he be? Being the earthly father of the Messiah would be a daunting task. More than that, trying to believe the baby growing inside his fiancée was supernaturally conceived must’ve seemed preposterous. The only way for him to face his fear and thrive in the calling God had set before Him was to trust the one who had given him the task. We often hear the cliché that God will not give us anything we cannot handle. I think this is wrong. I think God gives us a lot of things we cannot handle, so the only way for us to move forward is to trust the one who commands us “Do not be afraid.”
Lord, please help me to trust you when I am afraid. Let me trust that you know what you are doing. Help me to be obedient and confident during uncertain times as you have already gone before me. Embolden me to follow you during good times and bad, finding contentment in all circumstances. Amen.
The Fitch Family
Adam is the Senior Pastor at GBC. Sarah is an Audiologist at Providence in Newberg. They are a family of five, with Eli (17), Ainsley (14), and David (11) attending Veritas in Newberg. Please pray for the Fitch kids as they attend school in an in-person/virtual hybrid during the current COVID Pandemic.