God’s Fatherly Love by ems 12/09/21
13th Day of Advent
Week 2: Preparation (or waiting or prophecy) ~ Light 2 purple candles
Advent Hymn 🎼 Joseph’s Song🎶
The heartfelt words of Michael Card, composed in 1987, express the mystery of God the Father’s heart as He provided a Godfearing and trustworthy man, Joseph, to be an earthly caregiver for the Saviour of the world. The words reflect the questions Joseph might have asked of God and himself as he pondered the tremendous task of raising the Messiah.Â
Verse 1
How could it be
This baby in my arms
Sleeping now, so peacefully
The Son of God, the angel, said
How could it be?
Verse 2
Lord, I know He’s not my own
Not of my flesh, not of my bone
Still, Father let this baby be
The son of my love
Chorus
Father show me where I fit
Into this plan of yours
How can a man be father
To the Son of God
Lord, for all my life
I’ve been a simple carpenter
How can I raise a king?
How can I raise a king?
Verse 3Â
He looks so small
His face and hands so fairÂ
And when He cries
The sun just seems to disappearÂ
And when He laughs, it shines again
How could it be?
In case you want to enjoy this precious song, listen here:
16 Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Mary gave birth to Jesus, who is called the Messiah.
18 Now, the birth of Jesus Christ[e] took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed[f] to Joseph, before they came together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 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. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:
23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall call his name Immanuel.”
(which means God with us). 24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus. ~ Matthew 1:16, 18-25
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Family is the original unit of love God created. He did so because He is, first and foremost, our Heavenly Father. He loves us with an everlasting love and draws us to Himself, providing for our needs. To care for His Son Jesus, He provided a righteous man, Joseph, to shepherd his growth in wisdom, stature, and favor with all men.
God’s Fatherly Love by ems 12/09/21
The eternal God is, first and foremost, a loving Heavenly Father;
therefore, this indicates He has a Son. As a loving Father, He gives life, reflecting the beauty of a relationship. From the garden of Eden, God designed relationships in the beauty of family to reflect the triunity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Together, the Trinity has so much love that it has to be expressed through creation.
The dynamics of families do not always reflect this perfect unity. Yet, the building blocks remain of a father and mother coming together to build generations who will follow after them.
Joseph, the husband of Mary and a man of integrity, knew the value of hard work. God chose him to be Mary’s husband and the earthly caregiver for Jesus. Matthew 13:55 recounts the words of the people of Nazareth, which indicate that Joseph was a carpenter. This trade required hours of persistence and excellence to craft needed items.
Jesus was under Joseph’s godly care and able-bodied protection for a significant time of Jesus life. He provided security, lodging, food, and safe passage away from enemies. As a reflection of Joseph’s love and acceptance of Jesus as his own, he provided the best for his family.
God so loved this world – and you personally – that He gave His indescribable gift, His One and Only Son, so that we who believe in Jesus may not perish but have everlasting life. When we believe in Jesus, we are given the right to become the children of God.
In their brokenness, the original family, Adam and Eve, looked forward in faith to God’s redemption of the human race through Him, Who would crush Satan’s plan of death and destruction. To be in God’s forever family, we look to not only Jesus’s life but especially His death, through which we receive forgiveness for our sins. Jesus provides the only way for reconciliation with our Holy Heavenly Father.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, I am so thankful You showed us Your love through Your Son. Thank You for Your provision for Jesus’ life on earth and His willing sacrifice on the cross for my sin. Thank You, too, for ensuring that through faith, my salvation is secure through Your Holy Spirit, which forever seals me.Â
 Such amazing demonstrations of love, mercy, and grace leave me speechless!Â
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