Joseph was in a hard place.  His fiancé had told him she was pregnant "by the Holy Spirit." Who would be gullible enough to believe that?  Yet, Mary's prior history must have been impressive given that she had found favor with God! He was thinking of divorcing Mary "quietly."  But that would be hard, too.  Joseph must have been tormented by the situation.  So, Matthew's Gospel tells us God intervened:  ²⁰As 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. ²¹And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”  Matthew 1:20-21 NLT

The first time God ever intervened in my life in a dream was when I was seventeen.  I had decided to reject His call to become a pastor.  I wanted to be rich and famous, and didn't see being a pastor as a means to achieving those goals!  While I was considering my "options," I had a very specific dream that had a very clear point:  What does it profit you to gain the whole world and lose your soul? (See  Luke 9:25)  While I didn't act immediately on the dream, it's point never left me, and eventually I responded to God's plan for my vocation instead of my own. 

Joseph's dream was of far greater significance.  His decision would impact every person from that point forward.  He was being called to be the "step-father" of Jesus.  The angel's message was quite specific:  Don't be AFRAID to take Mary as your wife.  She was telling the truth, she is going to have a son by the Holy Spirit  Name Him Jesus.   We'll see Joseph's response tomorrow, although most of us already know it.  Here's a question for each of us to consider:  Is there anything God is asking you (or me) to do that seems impossible, that seems unreasonable, that seems as if it would be crazy if we followed through with it?  If there is, how are you (and I) going to decide what to do?  If there isn't, what are we doing with the "ordinary" commands Jesus has laid out for us in His word?  Let's take some time to reflect on and answer those questions.

Let's pray: Heavenly Father, Thank You for intervening in Joseph's life, so he would know what You were calling him to do.  By Your Holy Spirit intervene in our lives and give us clear direction for following You today and always.  This we pray in Jesus' name.  Amen.