And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. Matthew 1:18-20 ESV

Have you noticed that are many times when God’s plan doesn’t seem at all to line up with our own? We come face to face with circumstances that seem completely unacceptable and yet: we are forced to desperately depend on God. That is exactly how we meet Joseph in his part of the Christmas story. Joseph was a good and kind man who wanted to shield Mary from what he was certain was a betrayal of their trust. But Joseph was also a just man and he knew (At least he thought he knew) that all his plans and hopes for a future life together with his bride to be were finished.

That is where God stepped in with Joseph and where he will step in with us. Whether he sends a message by an angel or if he offers the gentle counsel of His word God is always ready and willing to open the door between heaven and earth and sit down with us in our hard places. If you wait on Him you will feel a tap on your shoulder and hear a voice that says, “Do not be afraid…God still has everything in His control!”