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 Because Joseph … did not want to expose Mary to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream.
When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.
(Matthew 1:19-20, 24)
When Joseph first heard that Mary was pregnant, he wanted out. The baby wasn’t his. Why stay?
The situation was especially distressing in Bible times, when women found to be pregnant out of wedlock were stoned to death.
Imagine Joseph’s heartbreak. The woman he was to marry was pregnant, but not by him. And it was likely she would die.
 But the angel of the Lord confronted Joseph’s fear head on, giving Joseph another piece of information. The baby was fathered by the Holy Spirit.
It was at this point that Joseph modeled great faith. He accepted the pregnancy and his vital role in raising the Son of God.
A man who discovers that his partner faces an unplanned pregnancy may first react with fear. But will he stay that way? God can help him see an incredible opportunity in being a father – and give him what he needs to move forward.
 Heavenly Father,
Work in the hearts of men whose partners face an unplanned pregnancy.
Help them to make decisions that honor You.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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