"But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, 'Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.'"

I want you to see three statements in the angel's words to Joseph. Three things that transform everything.

First, the angel says, "Joseph, son of David." Before God tells Joseph what to do, He tells Joseph who he is. Joseph was not just a carpenter in Nazareth dealing with an impossible situation. He was the son of David. He was part of a lineage that traced back through kings and patriarchs and promises. He belonged to a covenant that was older than his confusion.

And church, the same is true for you. You belong to a story larger than your circumstances. Your family's peace is not rooted in what you have built. It is rooted in who you belong to. You are sons and daughters of the Most High. You belong to a kingdom that cannot be shaken. Before you try to figure out what to do, remember who you are. We find peace in Jesus when we find our identity in Him.

Second, the angel says, "Do not fear to take Mary as your wife." Here's what I need you to know. The thing Joseph was most afraid of was actually the very thing God was doing. Sometimes what looks like disruption is actually deliverance. Sometimes what feels like chaos is actually Christ at work. Sometimes the thing you are most afraid of is the very thing God is inviting you into.

Third, the angel says, "For that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit." That word "for" in the Greek is the word gar. It means "because." It is an explanation. It answers the why. And here is what the angel is saying. Joseph, you do not have to figure out how to please God in an impossible situation. God has this covered. This is not a problem for you to fix. This is a promise God is here to fulfill.

Your job is not to figure it out. Your job is to walk in obedience. The peace we find for our family comes when we discern that the promise God is here to fulfill is not a problem for us to fix.

Paul echoes this incredible truth in Philippians 4:6–7 when he writes, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

So here is the question. What disruption in your family have you been fighting against that might actually be God's invitation? What chaos have you been resisting that might actually be Christ at work?

Tomorrow we will see what happens when Joseph woke up from that dream. The peace he found would require something from him. It would require a response.

1. How does remembering your identity in Christ change the way you approach the challenges in your family?

2. What situation in your family have you been treating as a problem to solve rather than a work God might be doing?

Write down one thing in your family that feels like chaos or disruption. Then pray and ask God to show you if He might be working in that very situation. Release your need to fix it and choose to trust Him instead.