Matthew 1:19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.

“Let us talk about the elephant in the room.”

There are times when we need to express our feelings about things which we feel compelled to clarify our position. I picked this verse from scripture because it expresses Joseph’s concerns in ways that might have been very private and his emotions alone.

Nothing is said here about the “just” man seeking God’s will in this monumental moment in his young wife’s life. He knew her, he loved her and yet he wasn’t at this moment willing to marry her. He was seeking a solution within his own control.

In this I can relate to raw human emotions because I have been there myself. Why I didn’t seek God in those moments was a matter of doubt in God’s ability to understand how I was feeling. Call it unbelief if you must but don’t we all want to talk to someone who understands?

God’s perfect love has always been demonstrated to me with mercy and compassion. He has never shown me a moment of doubt and strong human emotions tend to cause doubt in myself. How can He understand?

That is why I have fellowship with an accountability partner who has the experience to understand how I feel. He has been there before and can share in my doubts and fears. With him it is okay to be human.

While I am making this personal, can you think of a time when you can relate to what I am saying? Do you have a trusted friend who you know has your best interest at heart?

At that moment in Joseph’s life I doubt seriously that he had anyone to talk to because while he was trying to sort it all out God sent an angel to talk to him.

Mark 7:9 And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.

Many traditions have nothing to do with God, church or rituals associated with sanctification. That does not mean they are wrong or unfruitful. As long as our traditions do not take God’s place in our hearts, then we should honor mother and father in keeping their traditions.

At this time of year I suffer from missing one of those family traditions. The older I get the more of my family has passed on out of memory. It is not that I have forgotten them but their memories and the sharing of times together are gone from me.

The mind needs to be refreshed with tales of times when we gathered together and shared life. Picnics and outings, Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners were a shared experiences and the volume of participants has dwindled down to just a few.

“I can remember when….” That is missing in my seasonal experience now. Memories are shorter and with new acquaintances, some of whom I have known less that ten years. They cannot refresh the memory of a time long past and those times are fading from my memory and that makes me sad.

What lingers longer in my memories are traumatic events in which I am a key player because I was the bad actor. No one is here to remind me of those famous mistakes. Those involved don’t even remember. Why are they still active memories?

John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy:

Satan plays the spoiler. This defeated foe has nothing better to do than attack my faith. That is fine because I know one thing about enemies. They don’t bother you if you are not a threat. If you are under attack, then you are a threat to Satan. That means you are on the side of right.