In our world we have forces that seek to destroy our hope, diminish our faith, and steal our joy. The Bible calls this force the devil. We hear his roar attempting to rob us of our joy. We hear him roar in the disunity in our various branches of government. We hear him roar in the war in Ukraine and the Middle East. His ferocious shout can be heard in the carjackings that make us afraid to leave our homes. We hear his destructive anger in the mass shootings that make us feel unsafe. He seeks to divide families, creating enemies in the same household. This evil being has been around since the world began.
The devil was around 2,000 years ago when God sent a Savior to our world. We see him at work in this story told in Matthew 1:18-21:
“This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. ‘Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly. As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. Joseph, son of David,’ the angel said, ‘Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the holy spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins’” (NLT).
I understand why Joseph was afraid to take Mary as his wife.
He found it too difficult to believe that her pregnancy was supernatural. He did not want to disgrace her publicly. If he reported that Mary was pregnant, she would have probably lost her life. That sounds like a force that intends to kill, steal, and destroy. The devil’s plan was thwarted by an angel sent by God who told Joseph the truth.
The truth enabled Joseph to make the right decision, and, it brought joy to our world. The joy came to our world because the angel commanded Joseph and Mary to name the child Jesus. The name Jesus means “Jehovah is my salvation.” Jehovah or Yahweh means the “Becoming One” or the “God Who becomes.” Jesus is able to become whatever you need.
What lessons can we learn from the fact that in the coming of Christ, God prevents the devil from stealing our joy at any season of our lives? The first lesson is this: You have a Savior who can deliver you in all of life’s challenges.
He is able to keep you from stumbling or slipping and prepare you to stand before a holy God without fault or blemish (Jude 1:24). He is able to give you peace in any storm you face in life. He promised before He ascended into Heaven that He was leaving us a supernatural peace that the world can neither give nor take away (John 14:27).
The second lesson is this: You have a Savior who can save you from the penalties of wrongdoing.
The Bible says that if you confess your sins God will forgive you (1 John 1:9). He forgives you and me because Jesus becomes whatever we need, and we need salvation. He gives us that salvation as a gift, removing the penalties of our wrongdoing. We are told in the Bible that we are saved by grace through faith. We are not saved because of what we can do, but salvation is a gift from God. It does not come from working to receive it, so no one can boast about being considered innocent in God’s eyes (Ephesians 2:8, 9).
You have a Saviour who can free you from the power of evil in every form. Do you need provisions for your life? He is Jehovah Jireh: the God who will provide. Do you need peace in your life? He is Jehovah-Shalom: the God who gives peace. Do you need healing in your life? He is Jehovah-Rapha: the God who heals. Do you need guidance in your life? He is Jehovah-Raah: the God who is a shepherd. Do you feel lonely? He is Jehovah-Shammah: the God who is there. Psalm 23 reminds us that even when we walk through the valley of shadows, He is with us. He promises He will never leave or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).
Praise God for making sure evil will never successfully destroy our joy. Praise God He delivers us in all life’s challenges, saves us from the penalties of wrong doing, and frees us from the power of evil in every form.
