Trust Beyond Understanding

There are strong lessons we should learn from Mary and Joseph and the Christmas story, such as trust and obedience. As stunned as Mary was when the angel appeared to her, she listened to what he had to say and replied, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word (Luke 1:38)." Despite her shock, she humbly submitted to the Lord in faith and obedience.

Meanwhile, Joseph, who was espoused to marry Mary, found out that she was pregnant. Knowing the child wasn't his, he planned to put her away privately, instead of having her publicly condemned and likely stoned. However, the angel visited him and explained what had happened, saying, "Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her of the Holy Ghost (Matthew 1:20). He continued with the wedding and "knew her not" until after Jesus was born.

How many of you would have reacted like these two? What faith! They were presented with an incredulous situation and still chose to believe. Their example reminds us that true trust in God often requires courage in the face of uncertainty. Mary and Joseph's obedience opened the way for the greatest gift ever given, the birth of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. May we, too, respond to God's call with faith and obedience, trusting that His plans are always greater than our own. 

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