Matthew 1:24-25

April 3, 2026 by Leave a Comment

“When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.” (Matthew‬ ‭1‬:‭24‬-‭25‬)

I think Joseph is a great model of faith and obedience. Imagine the shock of being told that your betrothed is pregnant, and you know that you are not the father. Now, imagine that you are told that the Holy Spirit is the father of the child.

Without divine revelation, the latter is impossible to believe. Joseph responded naturally by resolving to divorce Mary. However, as he was considering these things, he received divine revelation. The angel of the Lord appeared and told him not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife because she was, in fact, pregnant by the Holy Spirit. The angel of the Lord reminded (or informed) Joseph of Isaiah 7:14, “‘Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel’ (which means, God with us).”

And when Joseph woke up, he was faithfully obedient to the revelation he had received. And, not only did he keep Mary as his wife, he kept her a virgin until after this child, Jesus, was born.

Father, please help me to faithfully receive and obey the revelation that you have given me. Amen.

Filed Under: devotional thoughts, Faith, God's Word, Gospels, Holy Spirit, Jesus Said, John, New Testament Tagged With:

John 16:32-33

March 28, 2026 by Leave a Comment

“Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John‬ ‭16‬:‭32‬-‭33‬).

In chapter 16, Jesus is walking his disciples – literally and figuratively – toward his departure to the Father. Of course, several events will take place before his ascension, including his arrest, death, burial, and resurrection. He has already cryptically told them of his departure, but of course, they didn’t understand. In this chapter, he answered the question presented in chapter 15: “How do we abide in you if you are going away?” Answer: The Holy Spirit. (16:7-8)

In these verses, we see three important things. First, Jesus warned them of a hardship coming that would scatter them. He is referring to his arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane, which will happen in a few hours. (Jn 18)

We have the advantage of having the complete story, so we can read ahead and see that what Jesus told the disciples would come, did come. Since Jesus proved himself a trustworthy and reliable foreteller, we can trust the portion of his foretelling that applies to us, even if it doesn’t always make sense.

Second, Jesus mentions His unity with the Father. Although the disciples will be scattered, leaving Jesus “alone,” He will not be alone because the Father is with him. Surely, there are times I need this reminder that God is with me. When it seems that all have abandoned me, I must remember that God has not abandoned me.

Third, Jesus told the disciples where they could find peace in a topsy-turvy world. Where? In HIM! Because He has overcome the world and its traps, they can find peace in him. At his resurrection, Jesus defeated the worst things the world has to offer like death and everything else that kills our souls.

Father, help me to find strength and hope in Jesus. Help me to lean into him in hard times. Amen.

Filed Under: devotional thoughts, discipleship, Gospels, Holy Spirit, Jesus Said, John, Life in Christ, New Testament

John 14:26

March 26, 2026 by Leave a Comment

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you” (John‬ ‭14‬:‭26).

I don’t think we could overstate the importance of this verse for the disciples going forward. Their world is about to be rocked in ways they can not imagine. Their daily access to Jesus is going to change in a few hours, and while Jesus understands this, the disciples can’t.

One beautiful thing about this verse is that Jesus is assuring them that they are not being left alone. But in addition to God’s presence, they will also have God’s guidance. First, the Holy Spirit will teach them all things. I don’t think this necessarily means that the Holy Spirit will teach them algebra, for example. Rather, the Holy Spirit will help them learn all the things they learn.

Second, the Holy Spirit will remind them of the things that Jesus had said to them. John 2:22 is an example of what Jesus meant: “When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.” (John‬ ‭2‬:‭22‬, emphasis added)

How does any of this apply to me? Because the Holy Spirit came to dwell in believers, not just the disciples, I have the same blessing of the Holy Spirit’s indwelling presence.   I believe that everything I learn is by the help of the Spirit. This is why I pray for my kids every day before they go to school. This is why I asked God to open His word to me this morning before I read John 14.

In the way that the Holy Spirit would bring to the disciples’ remembrance the things that Jesus said to them, I am hopeful he will do the same for me. This can be throughout the day when various things come my way or when talking to others, particularly about spiritual topics.

Finally, these words to the disciples, and by extension to me, should help me have courage throughout each day, knowing that the Holy Spirit is with me. “You got this!” is a popular mantra that teachers use to encourage their students, particularly younger children, in stressful situations. Based on what Jesus said, I would adjust that to “We got this!”

Father, help me have greater confidence in you because of the Holy Spirit’s presence. Please help me learn new things and bring to my remembrance all that you have said to me. Amen.

Filed Under: devotional thoughts, Gospels, Holy Spirit, Jesus Said, John, New Testament