“Turn away from evil and do what is right.”
Psalms 34:14
There are many things in life we don’t like or agree with, or that even appear unfair; however, likely nothing more than an individual who gossips, starts false rumors, half truths or outright lies. They don’t know the facts. They don’t understand the situation. They are on the outside looking in, but for reasons unknown they feel compelled to be the J.A.G. (Judge, Advocate, General).I would imagine that is how Joseph and Mary felt living in the small town of Nazareth. Engaged, Mary is pregnant out of wedlock. To top it off, Joseph doesn’t even know that it’s an immaculate conception from God, because it had not been revealed to him by the angel of the Lord. Imagine the rocks being hurled at them. Imagine the rumors that started. Imagine the gossiping. Imagine the mud slinging. Imagine the character assassination launched against Mary, Joseph and their families. Yet, they remained obedient to the Lord. They did what the Lord asked them to do. They did the right thing.So how about you? What would you have done? How would you have reacted? Look at the response from Joseph:“And Joseph her betrothed husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace Mary, planned to send her away secretly. But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And Joseph awoke from his sleep and [obeyed] as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife, but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus.” Matthew 1:19-20, 24-25Joseph...
- Obeyed the Lord!
- Took Mary as his wife!
- Did not have sexual relations with her until after the birth!
- Called His name Jesus!
Joseph obeyed and did the right thing.You and I are in this story, not literally but figuratively. You may be facing a tough, life altering decision, one that calls for sacrifice, like Joseph faced. One that might not be the popular thing to do. Should you follow the Lord and obey? Or should you hold back, walk away and ignore doing what is right? Regardless of the circumstance that you are facing, I encourage you to obey the Lord. Do what is right! Leave the consequences to the Lord. He will sustain you, He will protect you. He will never leave you or forsake you.I’m reminded of what Solomon said:“The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: Fear God and Obey His commandments, because this applies to every person.”Ecclesiastes 12:13Solomon reminds us at the conclusion of life only two things really matter when we stand before God...
- A Holy reverence (fear) for God!
- Obeying His commandments!
Do what is right.Be Worth Being!KevinSUBSCRIBE TO "OVER THE HUMP" DEVOTIONALKevin Burrell has worked in professional baseball as both a player and MLB scout for the past 40 years, and currently serves as an area scouting supervisor. Kevin was drafted in the 1st round of the 1981 free agent amateur draft (25th selection overall), and played ten years of professional baseball with four different organizations. He and his wife, Valerie, live in Sharpsburg, Ga.
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