Bible Verse Thursday Challenge 07 ~ Savior

 Blessed Thursday morning to you dear brothers and sisters!  Welcome back for another Bible Verse Thursday Challenge courtesy of Our Daily Bread Designs Forum.  Let's get right to this week's verse:

She will give birth to a son and you are to give Him the name Jesus;

for He shall save His people from their sins. Matthew 1:21

This verse of Matthew’s Christmas story tells us definitively that Jesus came to save.  When I selected this verse for today’s challenge, I intended to focus on Jesus as Savior.  As I studied and reflected, however, I began to wonder about the person to whom the angel is speaking here - Joseph.

What do we know of Joseph?  We learn that he was an ordinary man, a lowly carpenter, who was chosen by God for an extraordinary job – being the earthy father of the Savior.  How must this simple, but obedient man have felt?  Did he wonder “why me”?

Last week we used Mary’s Song for our challenge, this week we get a closer look at the earthly father of our Lord and Savior.  A song I love and hear often on the radio at Christmas time is “A Strange Way to Save the World” by 4Him, the chorus goes:

Why me, I'm just a simple man of trade
Why Him, with all the rulers in the world
Why here inside this stable filled with hay
Why her, she's just an ordinary girl
Now I'm not one to second guess what angels have to say
But this is such a strange way to save the world

Often God’s divine plan for our lives is not revealed to us in what we might consider a “timely” or “convenient”  manner.  God doesn’t always tell us His plans for us.  Sometimes He lets us struggle with the circumstances so we learn how to make those important steps of faith.  Joseph was a simple man and though he undoubtedly struggled with this “surprise” he trusted God and took that step of faith.

Join us!  We would love to have you participate in the challenge by creating your own project using this scripture or another verse about our Savior Jesus Christ!  When posting your project, please use keyword ODBDBVT07 and then head on over to Our Daily Bread Designs to share what you've done!

Since I focused on St. Joseph, the simple carpenter and earthly father of our Lord, I made my card based on him!

Supplies

Cardstock:  Bazzill – Walnut Cream

Stamps:   Our Daily Bread Designs – Christmas Verses

Inks:  Versifine – Onyx Black; Ranger Distress Inks – Wild Honey, Gathered Twigs, Crushed Olive, Vintage Photo, Walnut Stain

Dies, Embossing Folders & Punches:  Spellbinders – Labels 18; Sizzix Embossing Folder - Tim Holtz Alterations Wood Grain;  McGill Paper Punches – Rose Petal, Designer Pine

Accessories:  Ranger Distress Stickles – Clear Rock Candy

 May our Lord and Savior bless you richly today!